Of Hopes and Fears
by Beatrice Gold
Summary: A girl from Mabel's past wants revenge, ridiculous revenge from an event that was so warped from time it was wrong. The twins have to create an army and fight against her, only to end this. But Mel isn't the only one from Mabel's past, and far from most deadly. What she wants is unclear, and Mabel is determined to figure it out. But didn't meddling start this in the first place?
1. Newcomers

Chapter 1

It was a normal summer day for the town of Gravity Falls, Oregon, and 12-year-old Dipper and Mabel Pines were helping their Great Uncle Stan, or as they called him, Grunkle Stan, with his tourist trap called "The Mystery Shack." Not many people came that lazy Sunday day, but today, a few newcomers did.

"Dipper!" Mabel called to her twin brother.

"What Mabel?" he answered.

"Where does this Stan bobble-head go?" she asked, wondering where the mysterious souvenir belonged in the gift shop of the Mystery Shack. Dipper sighed in annoyance at his sister's forgetful nature.

"Like I said five minutes ago, right there on that counter." he said, trying to keep his cool.

"Oh yea!" Mabel exclaimed happily.

"Kids!" Grunkle Stan yelled and came into the gift shop. "I'm going to a meeting today on how to run a business. I don't know why I have to attend, but I just do. So, Soos is in charge." Stan explained, getting a "Whoo hoo!" from Soos, the Mystery Shack's handy man. With that, Grunkle Stan left the Mystery Shack and headed over to his meeting in a convertible.

"Wait," Dipper said. "When did Grunkle Stan get a... convertible?" he questioned. Mabel shrugged her shoulders and began bobbing the bobble-heads back and forth, her pupils following their every move.

"Haha!" she exclaimed, intrigued by their movement. Then Dipper continued reading a book with no title, just a hand with six fingers and the number "3" on it. All of a sudden they heard the bell cling and a family of five walked in.

"Hello!" Soos said, welcoming the customers. "Welcome to the Mystery Shack!" One of the kids, a boy with shaggy blond hair, was busying himself with his sister, a little girl holding a teddy bear.

"You need to put that back!" he muttered, wrestling with something in the little girl's hand.

"Its Mr. Tedders'!" she cried. "He wants it!" The kids parents were completely oblivious to their children, and so were Dipper and Mabel. While all this was going on, Dipper was still engrossed in his book, and Mabel was still hypnotized by the bobble-heads.

"Beep boop!" she said, flicking the bobble-heads with her finger again, giggling. "They never know it's coming!" she laughed.

"Mabel, please be quiet. I'm trying to read about..." Dipper said, but then got cut off by realizing their were customers in the store.

"Trying to read about what?" asked the little girl.

"I... um..."

"Sorry about my sister." said a voice. "She's a bit nosy sometimes." A girl with bleach blond hair grabbed the little girl by the arm and pushed her gently away. "Sorry for the trouble," she said. "C'mon guys, let's go."

"Wait!" Dipper cried, noticing the girl a lot better now. She was actually really pretty. And really familiar... "You- you could stay!" he blurted.

"Well, okay." the girl said. "Hi, I'm... Elodie."

"I'm Dipper, and that's my sister, Mabel. Mabel, come here!" Dipper said. Mabel noticed her brother calling her for the forth time.

"Oops. Sorry." she grinned sheepishly.

"Haha, it's okay." Elodie laughed. Her brother joined her and Elodie introduced him. "That's my brother, Ryan. He's twelve, and I'm thirteen. And that little girl over there is our sister, Piedmont. She has a pretty unusual name. A little like yourself." Elodie said, gesturing to Dipper. Dipper smiled. Elodie was really pretty. Although her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, it still bounced in the perfect way...

"We're from Piedmont, California!" Mabel exclaimed.

"No way!" Elodie said. "Us too! Although, Mabel is a pretty common name. I once had a friend named Mabel back in California when I was eight, but that was before she turned on me." A funny look crossed her face, but then she laughed. "I can't help but notice you two look related!" she said.

"Yeah! We're twin buddies!" Mabel said, giving Dipper a noogie.

"Mabel- stop- stop it!" he yelped, trying to get out of her grasp. Finally, she let go.

"Well we'd better get going, Right Ryan?" Elodie asked.

"Yeah," Ryan replied. "It was great meeting you."

"Bye guys!" Mabel said, waving. Elodie and Ryan soon left with their parents and Piedmont without purchasing anything.


	2. Hey, Where's Waddles?

Chapter 2

"Dipper! Wake up!" Mabel whispered frantically. Dipper slowly opened an eye.

"It's one in the morning, Mabel, this better be good." he said groggily.

"It isn't good at all!" Mabel sobbed. "It's Waddles! I can't find him at all! He's- he's _gone!_"

"Well... um... what do you want me to do?" he asked.

"Help me find Waddles."

"Where? Your pig could be anywhere." he said.

"Please help me." Mabel said.

"No, go back to bed." Dipper said impatiently. But Mabel wouldn't go back to bed. She just sat there, looking as sad as she could be. Dipper sighed. "Fine," he said, getting out of bed, "But you owe me one."

"Thank you thank you thank you! Now where should we start?" Mabel asked.

"Outside?" said Dipper.

"Sounds good to me!" chirped Mabel. When the twins arrived outside in the forest, Dipper checked a map cautiously while Mabel played with a moth. "He's so cute!" she whispered in awe. "Maybe we can put him in a jar and-"

"Mabel- shh!" Dipper interrupted. "What's that noise?"

"All I hear are crickets!" Mabel said loudly.

"Shh!"

"Well I don't know what you're talking about, Dipper. I don't hear anything!" All of a sudden, the trees swayed violently. The bushes rustled, and a pair of footsteps- big footsteps- echoed through the woods. Mabel took a step closer to her brother. "I-I hear it now." she whispered. The footsteps were louder now. They surrounded the the twins and engulfed the cold night air. Shadows danced, and the crickets were not heard.

"I want to go inside." Dipper said miserably. Mabel nodded fearfully in reply.

"What d'you think it is?" she asked.

"Something big!" Dipper replied. He turned around. "Where are we?" he asked.

"We must've gone too far into the forest!" Mabel said.

"We weren't walking that long!" Dipper exclaimed.

"Leave it to Dipper to get is lost in two minutes flat." Mabel muttered. The footsteps got louder. "Omigod!" she shouted. "We need to go!" Dipper sighed nervously. The bushes parted and he jumped.

"Run!" he yelled.

"Huh!?"

"Just run!" So the twins raced across the hard forest floor. Branches snapped at their wake, and thorn bushes jabbed at their legs. Was the thing even following them? Better safe than sorry, though. A dark shadow cowered by the bases of a large clump of pine trees.

"Waddles!" Mabel cried. But the shadow was only a bobcat. She frowned. That wasn't her pet pig? The darkness seemed to consume the woods. Were they lost? A certain passageway dumped Dipper and Mabel out by Lake Gravity Falls. "Should we jump off the dock?" asked Mabel. "That would be fun!"

"Eww, no. Do you even know what's in that lake?" Dipper asked. Mabel shrugged.

"I'm not feeling so good." Mabel gasped. "Can we take a break?"

"No. Can't... Stop." Dipper said through heavy breathing. All of a sudden, Mabel fell.

"Ow!" she cried. "It hurts! It hurts sooo baaad!"

"What does?" Dipper shouted in alarm. And that was when Mabel passed out.


	3. The Fatalis Flower

Chapter 3

"Mabel!" screamed Dipper. He jostled her shoulders. The thing was getting closer. Was the monster just playing with its food? Dipper wondered if he could just carry his sister. She'd be light at first, but she'd get heavier the longer he carried her. There was no time to think. He grabbed Mabel and carried her piggy-back. He staggered, and almost fell over, but regained his balance and set off in the direction of the road. As he was running, Dipper began to think of Mel, a girl he'd had a small crush on when he was seven. She always knew what to do in a crisis like this. Dipper snapped back when he realized that his arms and back were aching from carrying his Mabel for so long. He looked up at his sister. Her face was a ghostly white, and she had a large gash on her left calf. It was pouring blood. Little pink and green spots dotted the wound, and around it were coal black thorns. They looked so familiar to Dipper. Almost like...

"Wait a minute!" he said aloud. "I remember reading something about this!" He flipped open his book, and leafed quickly through the pages. "Of course!" he exclaimed. "It's the Gravity Falls Fatalis flower. Decorated with beautiful pink and green buds, it is known to be the prettiest flower in Oregon! But it is very rare and hidden away, because if you are cut by its thorns, it's instant... death." _No no no! It can't be! It's not possible! _Dipper thought. But it was. As he examined the injury, he realized that wedged inside, there were over twenty-five thorns inside his sister's leg. He stopped running and sat on a rock, holding his sister in his lap while he tried to get the thorns out with a leaf. They were stuck. "Mabel, we'll get you to a hospital soon... just stay with me... please... just stay with me." he pleaded. The monster's footsteps were right on top of him. Dipper's heart rate went up. He couldn't run. He couldn't hide. He decided the plan was to wait the monster out and then get Mabel to a hospital. But what if the monster couldn't be waited out? What if it wanted Dipper? It was obvious that was the case. The monster would be there at any second. The bushes parted. It was there.


	4. Death by a Flower

Chapter 4

The monster crashed through the clearing.

"Roooooawwwer!" it howled. Except- _it wasn't a monster._

"Elodie? Ryan?" Dipper asked in shock.

"Haha! Yeah!" Elodie laughed. "We sure scared you!" In her hand was a simple CD player. "Oh, this?" she said, noticing Dipper eyeing the CD player. "It plays Halloween noises. Roaring, loud thumping. The usual."

"Was this all a prank?" Dipper asked incredulously.

"Well… um, actually… yes. But it wasn't meant for you. We were trying to scare… um… our parents." Elodie said.

"I don't believe that." Dipper replied.

"Fine." Elodie snapped. Ryan shifted his position uncomfortably.

"Wha- what's with Mabel?" he asked fearfully.

"She was poisioned." Dipper told him darkly. He knelt beside Mabel. "Please help me!" he cried. Elodie's facial expression softened.

"Let's get her to my parents. They'll know what to do." she said.

"Our mom is a doctor." Ryan suggested. "And she's really good."

"Our family's golf cart is parked back over there." Elodie said. "The walk home is a little long, so we'll use that."

"I'll get it." Ryan offered.

"Okay. We'll wait for you here." Elodie told him. When Ryan was gone, Dipper shoved his foot in the dirt. Out and in. Out and in. All of a sudden, Elodie screamed. Dipper leaped to his feet, protectively standing in front of her.

"What is it?" he asked. Maybe this would be his chance to prove to Elodie that he was tough.

"I-I think she's dead!" Elodie sobbed. She pointed to the ground. Dipper looked.  
"Oh man." he whispered. Mabel's tongue rolled out and her eyes rolled in. "I don't feel too good." he said. "Will you catch me when I pass out…?"

Elodie caught him when he passed out.


	5. The Robbery

Chapter 5

"You want to put the cloth _on _his face, honey. Not under it."

"I think he feels it, Mom."  
Dipper opened his eyes. He was in a large bedroom in a large bed. A bright, beautiful woman sat at the foot of it with a bucket of water and a few sponges. Mabel was sleeping beside him, and Elodie was rubbing a wet cloth on his forehead. Mabel was sleeping. That meant she had to be alive, right?

"I know what you're thinking." the woman said. "Yes, Mabel is alive. It took me a while to pry out all twenty-eight of those thorns, though. Oh, and my name is Mori." Mori smiled. "Come on, let's leave them alone." she said, and her and Elodie left the room. Dipper closed his eyes. He wondered how they got two kids in and out of the golf cart. _Maybe they flew us here! _he thought. He smiled wearily. He was beginning to think like Mabel. The clock flashed 3:45 A.M. Luckily, he'd only been unconscious for an hour. He fell back against the pillows. What a big bed. The bucket was still by the foot of it. He looked over at his sister. Should he use it on her or something? It might get her awake… He decided to shake her instead. Her eyes opened shortly.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"Elodie's house." Dipper answered.

"Pretty big bed."  
"I know right."

"Hey, what happened last night?" Mabel inquired.

"Well, longs story short you were cut by a deadly flower and you almost died but you didn't and you almost gave me a heart attack, and, well… I kind of don't think Elodie is what she seems." Dipper explained.

"Oh come on, how could Elodie _not _be what she is?" Mabel asked. "And- I _died._ That is so cool!"

"_Almost _died." Dipper corrected.

"You're just jealous!" Mabel teased. "I died and you didn't! I died and you didn't! I died and you didn't!"

"You do realize that's a _bad _thing, right?" Dipper said.

"To come back to life?"  
"Well _that's _good."

"Doi."

"_And _all of a sudden I don't feel happy you came back to life." Dipper said dryly.

"Yeah you are!" Mabel laughed and poked her brother's arm.

"Ow."

Mabel sighed. "Tonight was fun," she said contentedly.

"I'm glad you think so." Dipper said.

"I'm glad I'm alive." Mabel replied.

"Me too."

The twins fell asleep hand in hand.

No one noticed a small figure dressed in black ease into the room, reach across the bed, and slip a certain book with a hand with six fingers out of Dipper's jacket pocket, and then leave as quietly as they came.


	6. The Kidnapping

Chapter 6

Dipper and Mabel awoke with a horrible feeling of uneasiness hovering in the air. The house was deathly silent. The birds outside were nowhere to be seen. Black clouds completely covered the sky. All of a sudden, a loud BOOM shook and rattled the house. Rain poured down and splatted the windowpanes. Some drops even got inside.

"It's just a little storm. Oregon is known for all of its rain." Dipper assured a shivering Mabel.

"I-I dunno, Dipper." Mabel replied shakily. "I don't hear anyone inside the house."

"Well, let's go check then." Dipper said. _Maybe Elodie will be the only one, and we can- um, talk? _Dipper thought. The thought sounded stupid in his head; he knew it would sound worse out loud. "Mori? Ryan? Elodie? Is anyone here?" he called instead. No answer. "Come on, let's go see where everyone is." he said, his heart beating a little faster than usual. He and Mabel climbed quietly down from the bed and opened the door. No one. Just an empty hallway leading downstairs.

"We need to call Grunkle Stan. Like right now." Mabel said worriedly. But would Grunkle Stan even pick up?  
"Hey, hey. Let's not jump to conclusions." Dipper replied cautiously. "We don't know what's going to happen. Maybe everyone will jump out from behind a couch and yell surprise or something like that."  
"Boy, I hope so." Mabel said. "I'm tired of all this sneaking around and being on the watch and stuff."

BOOM! The house rattled violently. Dipper and Mabel jumped in surprise.

"Elodie!" Dipper yelled. Mabel didn't even have the heart to make fun of him, she was so scared. The twins raced down the hall and barged into the first door they saw. Another large room with a large bed. But no one was there.

"Find another door!" Mabel said frantically. Again they darted through the hallway, Mabel in the lead. A second door was decorated with a beautiful rose-looking flower speckled with lush green and soft pink seeds. But the stem was ugly. The sides jutted out sharply every which-way. It had a sickly dark green/brown color. But what made the stem prettier were thick ivory-colored thorns. A light reflected off them making the sides shine. Small drops of the brightest red dripped from the thorns. Underneath, the flower read…

BOOM! a strike of lightning light up the black sky.

"Die!?" the twins screamed in unison.

"Oh no!" Dipper groaned.

"What _is _that?" Mabel shrieked. She hit the flower hard, smushing it against the door. "Ugly!" she yelled, hitting it over and over.

"Stop! Stop!" a voice bellowed. The door swung open. "What. Are. You. Doing. To. My. Flower!?" a short middle-aged man in a labcoat grabbed Dipper by the cuff of his shirt and tossed him into the room of the flower.

"Dipper!" Mabel screamed. Somewhere inside the room came a muffled shriek. "Dipper!" Mabel screamed again.

"Now you know what it feels like to loose something you love," the man murmured, stroking the smushed flower. "No matter, though," he said. "I have plenty more. I'm just studying the curious deathly dangers of this flower. I need to test the poison out on someone. It won't work on you; you've survived it. You know, I'd better get to work now. Your brother will be easy to tie down."

A strangled cry escaped from the back of Mabel's throat. "No! Dipper! Don't let him kill you!" she wailed.

"No! Dipper!" the labcoat man mimicked in a high screechy voice. "Get in there. You get five minutes." he swatted Mabel away into the room like a fly and then went about muttering to himself. Mabel walked around the huge room. Labcoats hung neatly on a coat rack. A menacing metal chair sat in the middle of the room. Strapped firmly inside was a squirming Dipper. "Oh no!" Mabel cried, rushing over to her brother. "I have to get you out of here!" she said, fingering the tight iron bars that held Dipper's hands down.

"Mabel! You found me! You got in! How?" Dipper cried.

"He let me in, that mean guy. And he's going to kill you!" Mabel sobbed and threw her arms around her brother. "We have to get you out of here." she said.

"I can't. But you can. Hide somewhere, and then break free. I'm sure the door's unlocked. The guy isn't that smart. A little but unstable to me." Dipper said.

Mabel gave a small laugh. "But- no. I won't hide. I'll stay with you the whole time." she said strongly. "We'll get out of this." she then whispered. The door swung open.

"Time's up." the labcoat man said.


	7. The Experiment

"Wait!" Mabel yelled. "If you're going to kill him, why don't you also kill me?" she asked.

"Mabel! No-" Dipper cut in.

"Well, it _is _a shame to turn down such a great deal, but the guys say torture is my thing. They all think it's funny my name is Tom and it has the same first letter as Torture. Just saying."

"It's- it's _you_." Dipper said.

"And that's _you." _Tom mimicked.

"Dipper, what are you talking about?" Mabel asked.

"That guy is Mr. Jhonston. Remember? We were seven. That guy is Mel's father. Who obviously is Elodie. Her real name must me Melodie. She tricked us, Mabel. Their whole family did. They lied."

"Oh. I remember." Mabel said. "Mr. Jhonston used to joke about being Torture Tom after he and Mel played a prank on us."

"Who knew he really _was_." Dipper said quietly.

Dipper and Mabel looked over at Tom. He looked almost as surprised as they were.

"Dipper and Mabel. Mmm mmm mmm. I'm surprised I didn't recognize you kids. Mel must've. And why she didn't tell me I have no clue. It's kind of sad no one will see you again." Tom said, walking over to the metal chair. "But your sister will have seen it all. See me take out six inches of skin long and four inches deep on your arms. See me pour in the thorns, watch them sink in. And see the light leave your eyes." Tom grinned maniacally as Mabel sobbed. Just then the closet door opened.

"Boo!" Mel screamed. Dipper jumped, but being tied up by hard iron, twisted his wrists. "Haha!" Mel laughed. "Did I scare you, wittle boo boo?" she asked, pinching his cheeks hard. Mabel slapped her. "Why, Mabel! That was rude, considering we were _best friends _only four years ago." Mel mock chided. "Why don't you tell them what you did?" she asked. Her voice dropped dramatically. "Tell them how you tried to kill me." she said darkly. Mabel looked down, terrified. _She_ swore, she thought. _She promised she wouldn't tell. _

"Mabel..." Dipper said uneasily. All of a sudden Mabel seemed very interested at picking at a hangnail on her thumb. She felt three pairs of eyes on her, staring. Tom shrugged.

"That's bad." he said. "And bad things get punishments. Mel, give your friend a good, hard punishment while I fire up this electric knife." Tom went away and Mel turned and smiled evily at Mabel.

"No, Mel! Stop! Don't hurt her!" Dipper yelled. Mabel gripped Dipper's waist.

"Please don't let her hurt me." she whispered.

"Oh no! What's she gonna do?" Mel asked in a squeaky voice. "Here's what she's gonna do, Mabel. She's gonna stick you with this tube." Mel held up a huge injector with a disgusting yellow liquid inside.

"Wha- what _is _that?" Mabel cried.

"Oh, nothing much!" Mel laughed. "Just four gallons of drugs."

"Drugs!?" Mabel exclaimed. "Is that even _legal_!?"

"Of course not, do you think legal is how I work?" Mel asked. Tom came back with the electric knife.

"Ready?" he asked.

"No! Stop! Let us go!" Dipper shouted. Tom and Mel ignored him.

"Put Mabel in the other chair." Tom said calmly. Mel thrusted Mabel into another chair on the other side of the room. The bars strapped Mabel down crudely and left angry red bruises that would last forever. Tom drew the knife to Dipper and Mabel burst into tears. She watched, though, to keep him strong. It was a hopeless, gruesome day, and Mabel wished she had never come looking for Waddles the second the injection gun hit her arm. The pain was unbearable. Mabel screamed and kicked and soon fell unconscious. Dipper was bloodstained and tearstained and was nearly knocked unconscious himself. _I'll die anyway, even if he doesn't stick me with the thorns. Too much blood will be gone._ he thought.

"Tom? Mel? I'm home!" a voice called. Someone opened the door. It was Mori!


	8. Sides Taken

Chapter 8

The door squeaked open. "Tom, you'll never believe what I found! Just _look _at this get-well-soon card! Ryan and I have already signed it, so now it's-" Mori looked around in shock. "What is going _on _here!?" she demanded, staring at the drug injector. "What is going _on_!?" she repeated. Tom looked dumbstuck. Mel ran to her mother.

"Daddy made me do it!" she sobbed.

"Do what?" Mori asked, angrily glaring at Tom, who just shrugged.

"He made me shoot Mabel with drugs!" Mel cried. _She's so lying! _Dipper thought. _If I had any strength, I'd-_

"Tom!" Mori roared, interrupting Dipper's thoughts. "Drugs! Where did you get those!?"

"N-no! Mel is wrong-"

"SILENCE! Mel, sweetheart, go to your room. And Tom, _stay here. _We have a lot of clearing up to do." She walked over to Dipper and held his flushed face. "What have you done to him, Tom? Have you gone _crazy!? _Now get them out of these bars, Tom. Where did you even get-"

"Yes, I'll pat you!" a giggling voice interrupted. Mori looked up in surprise. Mabel was twirling her wrists and laughing. "You're so cute. Ow! You _bit _me!" she twisted up her face and screamed.

"Drugs." Mori muttered.

...

Soon Mori had the twins on a big couch. "Look at her eyes. Dialated." she said. Mabel got up.

"This bouncy house is fun, Dipper! You were right!" she bounced off the walls and fell. "You killed my brother, Mel. Now I'm going to kill you." she mumbled, swiping out a pocket knife and swishing it around sleepily. Mori put her beside Dipper on the couch again and left quietly. Mabel's big eyes closed and Dipper gave a sigh of relief.

...

"Confess!" Dipper awoke with a start. He turned his head groggily to the sound of the noise. "Confess, retard, confess!" It was Mel. She suddenly looked over. "Oh look, your brother's awake. Tell him retard. Tell him what you did. I'm not letting you get out of it like you did last time. I'm not moving away, not this time. I'll get it out of you if I have to kill you myself!" Mabel laughed.

"I've seen it. It's here. It's big. It has windows. I'm turning the wheel. But I didn't mean to. It wasn't my fault. He was the one standing on it. Now he's seven less!" she giggled. Dipper widened his eyes fearfully. _Me? _he thought. Mel screamed and punched her face. She processed she was hurt and screamed.

"Where's Dipper!?" she yelled. "Where's my brother!?"

"Mabel!" Dipper said, alarmed. "I'm right here!"

"Dipper! You're _dead_!"

"No!" Dipper grabbed Mabel's shoulders and shook them hard, but to no avail. Mel's angry face softened.

"I'm so sorry!" she blurted. Dipper looked up, stunned. "It's just- all of this stuff was my fault and- and I didn't mean for it to go this far!" she was soon crying. "I thought it would have worn off by now, but- I don't know what came over me... I was just- scared when she threatened me l-like t-that four years ago!"

"What time is it?" Dipper asked.

"Eleven at night." Mel answered. She jumped when Mabel's eyes flashed open. Her eyes were still frighteningly dialated, but she gave off a different feel, a sense of peace.

"Oh Dipper!" she cried, throwing her arms around her brother. She muttered his name over and over while he hugged her back. Then she glanced over her shoulder.

"What did I ever do to you?" she asked furiously, eyes flashing.

"I-"

"Mabel, um, Mel is... on our side now. She understands. And she's sorry," Dipper tried assuring his sister. Mabel eyed Mel suspiciously, but then, worn out, settled down and fell asleep.


	9. Late Dinner

**This chapter has a minor word in it (That's one of the reasons why it's rated T), so if this bothers you, you can skip this chapter and move onto Chapter 10 once it's uploaded. :) **

Chapter 9

"Can you pass the chicken please, Tom?" Mori asked pleasantly. Tom shoved the plate of chicken across the table. Mori shot him a warning look.

"This was a good idea to have a late dinner, Mom." Mel complimented innocently.

"Thanks, hon. It was the least I could do considering how much you've been through. And Piedmont went to visit her grandmother for the week. She really loves little children."

"Where's Ryan?" Mel asked.

"Out with a friend," Mori replied. "And, by the way, since both of you seem well enough," she gestured to Dipper and Mabel, "Dipper can have Room 206, and Mabel can have Room 959."

"Room 959!? What is this, a hotel!?" Dipper asked incredulously.

"It's a mansion. We use room numbers to keep track." Mori answered with a little bit of defense.

"But- anyway- that's kinda far away!" Mabel protested, looking at Dipper in shock. He returned the look.

"Aww, it'll be _fine_! We live in a safe house!" Mori laughed. Mabel broke into a hard sweat, which she sometimes did as an after-effect of the drugs. She even sometimes went high out of nowhere, since it had only been ten short hours since the injection. She grinned.

"How many time have I told you not to sit there?" she laughed lightheartedly. She shoved an empty chair over and it crashed to the floor. Then she got up and toppled right over Tom. No one thought she heard him screaming at her. She just grinned goofily into space. She didn't even know they were there.

"She's so freaking high we need to kill the damn thing while we've got the chance!" Tom panted after Mabel waltzed right into him again.

"Tom! You'll do no such thing!" Mori scolded. "And whose fault is her condition, again?" Mabel fell on the floor.

"She's so confusing. She has three names... She killed my brother. She killed Dipper. I'll get my revenge. Someday. I'll kill _her!_" she laughed hysterically. "She'll see!" Tom's face grew red with the remark and punched her in the nose as he stormed away. Mabel started to cry and Mori ran to her side.

"Nothing too serious," she said, inspecting a screaming Mabel's nose.

"Her eyes scare me." Mel whispered, staring.

"She _is _pretty high," Mori replied. "I don't know why Tom did that!" Mel looked down guiltily. Soon Mabel snapped awake and looked around.

"Ow." she whispered.

"Okay. I think we can arrange to have you guys put in the room with double beds, right Tom?" Tom, who had come back in, merely grunted.


	10. Stolen Book

"D'you really think Mabel is gonna try to kill me?" Mel asked Dipper as they were getting ready for bed. Dipper shrugged.

"I never thought of that," he said. "Probably not. But when she's high, she'll think I'm dead and it's her life mission to get revenge by killing you." Mel nodded.

"She thinks I killed you," she said.

"I wonder if it's a vision. A warning for me..." Dipper said thoughtfully.

"Hey!" Mel laughed, playfully punching him in the arm. "You can definently trust me." Dipper smiled wearily.

"Good night," he said.

"Good night," Mel replied. Dipper headed to the room with the double beds, Room 4.

"Hey, Mabel." he said softly.

"Hey, bro." Mabel answered. As Dipper got into bed, Mabel said, "Can we trust her?" Dipper knew exactly who she meant.

"Remember what Volume 3 said? Trust no one!" Dipper replied. "Speaking of which," he said. "I want to read more about that flower."  
"Yeah! I wonder if there's, like, a way to get rid of all of them!" Mabel said excitedly. Dipper reached into his jacket pocket. Where was his book? He fumbled around quickly and gasped.

"Mel!" he cried angrily and dashed from the room.

"Dipper? What are you doing?" he heard Mabel call. But he just kept running. He found Room 2 and pounded on the door angrily.

"Mel, open up!" he yelled. A light clicked on and he heard hurried movement inside. A slam of a drawer. Heavy breathing. Dipper crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes as the door opened.

"Yes? W-what is it?" Mel asked, wringing her hands. Dipper glided right past her and opened the first drawer in Mel's dresser. "Hey! Stop! There's- _girl _stuff in there!" Dipper flinched and drew back, but when he saw Mel's relieved face, he shot open a second drawer. There, nestled inside T-shirts, basketball jerseys, and spandex, lay his Volume 3. Mel growled. "I told you not to look. Now it's too late." She advanced on Dipper. There was only one thing to do. Run. Dipper slipped by Mel and ran as fast as he could back to Room 4.

"Mabel! C'mon! We have to go!" he whispered urgently.

"Dipper, that's _ridiculous!_" It's like, one in the morning. And plus I'm at a good part." she said, holding up a book and waving it in the air.

"No! We have to!" Dipper replied breathlessly. But it was too late. Mel appeared in the doorway, holding the Volume 3. Dipper smacked his forehead. He'd forgotten the book!

"Looking for this?" asked Mel, twirling the book in her hands. Mabel was completely oblivious to what was going on.

"Give it back!" Dipper said angrily. Mori suddenly appeared in the doorway.

"Kids? What's going on?" she asked.

"He stole my book." Mel said accusingly in a pouty little kid voice.

"No I didn't! It's mine!" Dipper shouted.

"Mel's been reading it all last night!" Mori interrupted. Mabel looked up with worried eyes.

"Mel, what are you doing with Dipper's book?" she asked. There was shocked silence.

"Get in bed. Both of you." Mori said impatiently. "Now give me the book, Mel. We'll deal with this later." Mel reluctantly handed her mother the book and sulked away. Mori closed the door. Mabel began to feel nautious again and grabbed Dipper's arm as Mori walked closer.

"My daughter tells me some scary things about you, Mabel." she said.

"L-like what?" Mabel asked fearfully.

"Like you tried to kill her."  
"I-I didn't mean t-"

"Mabel. Stop. There's no excuse in the world that could cover it up. Can you tell me what happened?"

Mabel's eyes filled with tears and she shook her head. "I don't want to hear you do this again. Do you understand me?"

Mabel shook her head shakily.


	11. I Have It

Chapter 11

"Hey Grunkle Stan."

"Hey Grunkle Stan."

Mabel and Dipper were home. They had gotten away with just an arm brace and some pills to completely rid the drugs from Mabel's body.

"Hello, Mr. Pines. I know what you're thinking. Why do I have your kids, where have they been- but- yeah... they're safe... and stuff..." Mori said uncomfortably. Why was these children's uncle wearing underwear to greet someone?

"It's fine." their uncle said.

"Are you sure? Because-"

"It's fine! Now can I show you something interesting..."

Dipper and Mabel escaped to the safety of their attic bedroom. Mabel was already asleep, and strangely dreaming of when they were five. Then the dream changed. Mabel saw Blendin Blandin, the time traveler, again.

"Be warned." he said. "You will mess with time again, but not in the way you think..."

Mabel shot upright.

"Whoa..." she muttered.

"What?" Dipper asked, looking over.

"Nothing. Nothing at all!" Mabel laughed nervously.

"No seriously. Tell me."

"I was just thinking about dinner, was all." Mabel said anxiously, fidgeting with her pillow. "I have to go." she said, and left the room apprehensively.

...

The next morning, Dipper woke up and found that Mabel wasn't in bed. After a few minutes of searching the Shack, he realized she wasn't even there. As he trudged upstairs, the door creaked open. Dipper, realizing this person seemed to be sneaking around, quirky hid underneath the couch. _I bet it's Grunkle Stan smuggling stolen stuff away in that weird-looking box._ Dipper thought. But it wasn't Grunkle Stan. It was-

"M-!" Dipper clapped a hand to his mouth and quietly scolded himself for being so loud. He had to see what Mabel was up to. She was being so sneaky lately. He thought they were really close. But he was beginning to think he barely knew her at all. It looked like she was holding a plastic bag. Mabel was already climbing the stairs just as Dipper was getting his bearings. He slinked after her. Mabel looked around as she reached the top of the stairs. Heart beating fast, he plastered himself to the wall. As Mabel shut the door Dipper breathed a sigh of relief. This was he could see her through the keyhole and not be seen in return. As he neared the hole, that second, Mabel moved so fast if Dipper blinked he would have missed it. She ripped the sheets off her bed revealing a cloth bag she had knitted herself. Dipper grinned at the memory, but it quickly faded as he saw Mabel stuff the plastic bag inside, and then stow it in her pillowcase. Dipper couldn't barge in then; Mabel wasn't that stupid. She's know he'd been watching all along and hide the bag in a new place. Instead Dipper grudgingly went downstairs. He decided to read his book to pass time. He reached into his jacket pocket. If there was one thing to cheer him up, his book could. Instead of the familiar worn leather hardcover book-feel, he felt a notepad. "What the...!?" he said in astonishment. He slipped the notepad out.

_I have it. _


	12. Addicted

Chapter 12

Dipper staggered back in shock. He had forgotten to get his book back from Mori. That was bad. Really, really bad. But there was something on the next page of the notepad.

_I sent someone to help you so you don't die along the way. _

...

"Leave me alone!" Mabel yelled. Dipper was really grilling into her that night.

"Do you like to go shopping? And... have you... by any chance... been shopping today? And did the store you go to, like, only have plastic bags? Or something?" Dipper inquired.

"No!" Mabel exclaimed. "I didn't go shopping today!"

"Or... what about...-"

"Stop it! Can't I have just a little bit of privacy?" Mabel pleaded grumpily.

Dipper sighed. He'd been too obvious. But that was okay, right? He was just trying to look out for his sister.

...

Clink. Clink clink.

Dipper froze.

Was that rain?

Clink.

No. It wasn't. Dipper felt certain it was Mabel. She was obviously putting her plan into action since he was asleep. He had to see her. Had to know what she was doing. He pretended to sleepily roll over to the other side, then opened his right eye to squint just in time to see his sister open her cloth bag. She pulled the plastic bag out and dumped its contents on her bed. A bottle. A tube. A needle. Dipper felt the air suck out of his lungs. Mabel was on drugs.


	13. More than Paranoia

Chapter 13

"Maaaaaaaaabel..." Dipper said.

"Hmphshwl." came the reply. Mabel had a mouthful of potato chips and was pigging out in front of the TV.

"I need to talk to you!" Dipper urged.

"No, you don't. Can't you see I'm watching TV?" Mabel had been a little hostile to her brother that day. The way he'd gazed at her with that disapproving look set her on edge. Dipper sat down on a table chair and sighed hopelessly. As he got up to work on Mabel some more she growled.

"Get your freaking asshole out of my business!" she screamed. Dipper was stunned. Was this what drugs did to you? His sister had never said anything so mean- to anyone. Without knowing it he cried. He walked upstairs. He'd had enough. All of a sudden a hand touched his shoulder. There she was. She saw him cry. She let him cry. "Just cry." she whispered. The brother and sister held hands as they walked upstairs.

...

"How could you? How could you _do _such a thing!?" Dipper asked his sister. Mabel knew that he knew. She couldn't hide forever.

"I'm so sorry Dipper." she whispered. "The drugs left my body but the addiction didn't! I-I _really _can't fight it anymore. I can't do this anymore! I'm a wreck. For an hour I just feel so great and charged up- like- like that carpet that made us switch bodies... and- and I _always _feel bad if I don't stay on them and-" Mabel was sobbing. "I can't finish... I know you probably hate me now." she wailed. Dipper sighed.

"Mabel- I don't hate you! How could I? You're my sister!" he said and hugged her as she cried.

"I don't like myself, Dipper. Nobody trusts me. _I _don't even trust me!" she said softly.

"Is this about when you tried to kill Mel? What _happened_?" Dipper asked. Mabel shook her head. "You might feel better if you tell someone." Dipper coaxed. She shook her head again.

"I c-can't. I just can't." she cried. "I don't feel safe anymore. Mel wants her revenge, and I think she's going to try to kill me! Please protect me."

"On my life." Dipper promised. Mabel shakily climbed into her bed.

"What if she comes? What if I fall asleep and she comes?" she asked tensely.

"I don't think she'll come in the middle of the-"

There was a thump on the roof. Mabel widened her eyes fearfully. "D'you want to sleep in my bed tonight?" Dipper asked. Mabel nodded and, legs wobbling, sat on his bed.

"She could come in the night." she whispered. Dipper stated to believe this was more than paranoia.

"She could."


	14. Things that go Bump in the Night

Chapter 14

It was the middle of the night. There was more banging on the roof. Dipper and Mabel laid wide awake in fear. Mabel clutched Dipper's shirt.

"She's coming." she repeated over and over. "She's coming."

...

They fell asleep for another hour. A figure on the roof watched them, and whispered into a walkie-talkie.

"Let them sleep." a voice hissed back.

"But when will I-" the figure started.

"At two. Wait till two."

...

"What-!" Dipper started. He opened his eyes. Night. Still night. What had waken him up? He looked at his sister. She was shaking and crying in her sleep. She didn't want to die. Dipper checked his watch. Five till two.

...

The walkie-talkie screamed.

"It's time, you bastard! _Past_ time! Move it. We don't have all night!" The figure snapped awake.

"Sorry, I'm sorry. Won't do it again." they mumbled into the device.

"You won't. Now _go." _

_..._

Mabel's eyes fluttered open. The stars were twinkling bright light outside. She wished she could go with them, and not cause Dipper any danger. She wished with all her heart. The banging was closer now. It was at the window.

"Dipper." she whispered, and shook him awake. They stared at the window. There were still the two holes Dipper had made in their mini-golf course. A shadow appeared behind it. "Dipper..." Mabel said, voice rising.

"We need to leave." Dipper said. "Let's go downstairs and hide." Mabel nodded.

"It's our only option." she said.

"_That - _wouldn't be too wise, Pines." the figure said, opening the window. It was dressed in a black hooded cloak that covered its face. "It would just make my job longer."

"Your-your _job_?" Mabel asked, holding her brother. The figure laughed.

"He hasn't told you why I'm here?" it asked.

"You _knew_?" Mabel asked, sounding hurt. "You let me be scared?"

"No! Are you really trusting him more than me!?" Dipper exclaimed. The figure reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the notepad.

"He probably does not know. Too stupid to reach conclusions. Read this," it said, displaying the first page of the notepad.

"It says 'I have it. Does that mean Mel has something?" Mabel asked anxiously.

"Yeah. The 3." Dipper replied. The figure flipped the page over.

"And what does this say, Pines?" it asked.

"I've sent someone to help so you don't die along the way..." Dipper said uncertainly. "But- that explains nothing!"

"It explains everything." the figure returned. "She wants you to get it back."

"Like a _game_?" Dipper asked in disbelief. "She wants to play a game with us! And when the game is over we'll be dead! I'm sorry but you're going to have to go back to where you came from. We're not going to do this."

"I'm afraid- this isn't your decision to make," the figure answered. "She is expecting you. And it's my job to get you there."

"We aren't going. Right, Mabel?" Dipper said firmly. Mabel nodded in agreement.

"If you don't go, she'll keep your book forever."

"You're playing a mind game with me, dude. Mori will give the book back. Right?" Dipper asked Mabel. She nodded.

"Who are you, and why are you supposed to help us?" she asked.

"If I told you, you wouldn't believe me." the figure said.

"Yeah we would!" Mabel said. "We have to believe a lot of crazy stuff around here!"

"Sorry, can't," the figure said, not sounding sorry at all.

"Well that's not fair!" Mabel exclaimed. "You're just a coward. You're a wuss!"

"Mabel..." Dipper said warningly.

"You're a sissy and a chicken and-"

"Enough!" the figure roared and stood to full height. Mabel shrunk back. "You- need to know your place. And it is not-" it picked her up to its height, "up here!" it finished. As it set her down Mabel seemed to regain her anger and her had shot up and pulled off the black hood.

"_Wendy_!?" the twins asked in shock. Wendy sighed.

"She tortured me, guys. I had to help her or- she was going to kill Robbie. I had to do it." she said. Dipper growled.

"Robbie." he muttered under his breath.

"Well you can at least keep us safe, right?" Mabel asked worriedly. "You won't make us go. Right?" she asked again.

"Sorry, guys. But you know too much." Wendy said.

"What do you- AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Mabel screamed. Wendy knocked the twins out with a chair and stuffed their bodies in a sack.

"Is it done?" the walkie-talkie screamed.

"Yeah, yeah." Wendy answered.

"Get them here _soon_."

"And- and Robbie?"

"He's fine! Already dropped him off at home. Come on! Those bodies won't get themselves here!"

**Please review! I want to know your thoughts on this chapter! :)**


	15. A Game

**I wrote this chapter on my Nook Hd, so please don't kill me if the spelling and grammar are a little off. :) Please review.**

Chapter 15

"Uhhhhhhhhhgh what happened last night!?" Mabel asked.

"Probably wrestling with a bear. It gave you a king-sized bump on your head!" Dipper laughed. Mabel gave an evil smile.

"Well, we are twins." she said. Dipper felt his head.

"Awww man!" he said.

"Where are we?" Mabel asked.

"It looks like a jail cell..." Dipper said.

"I didn't do anything wrong!" Mabel exclaimed.

"Me neither." Dipper said.

...

Mel sat on a grecian kline while a lady in white fed her with grapes.

"I'm ready to see them. Bring them in." Mel siad.

"Shall I bound them in the chains?" the lady asked in a british accent.

"Yes. I think that would be appropriate. Now go. Leave me."

...

Dipper and Mabel were asleep when they heard the footsteps.

"Maybe they're letting us go." Mabel mumbled sleepily.

"No. It's obviously another trap." Dipper replied. Mabel nodded slowly. The footsteps approached the door and a key was heard opening the lock that looked like a duck. The door opened and the twins saw a lady with curly blonde hair twisted up with a crown of leaves. "What do you want?" Dipper asked. The lady gave a small but playful smile.

"Your arms." was all she said. Dipper cautiously held out his left arm and quickly and firmly the lady bounded it with chains. Reluctantly he gave her his right arm and she did the same with it. She connected Mabel with the end of the same chain at the far end. As the lady and Dipper ascended the winding staircase, they could hear faintly back the sobbing of Mabel as the chains cut her hands.

...

"Well, well, well. I'm glad you're alive. No. I'm _delighted _you're alive. We've been through so much together, and it would _kill_ me to see you die." Mel said when Dipper and Mabel were brought to her. "I have something of yours. Something... _special._ I'll give it to you; but you'll have to play a _game _with me for it."

"I knew it." Dipper said. "What kind of game?"

"I have loads of favorite games. Clue. Monopoly. Chess. Checkers. The Game of Life. But- I wasn't thinking of a board game. My favorite game is played at sleepovers. In the car. Everywhere. Do you know what I'm talking about, Mabel?" Mel said.

"Would- Would You Rather?" Mabel asked, drying her eyes with her sweater.

"Very good, Mabel. What's a better game to play... with friends?" Mel asked.

"So let me get this straight- we have to play a stupid game to get my book back? And Wendy is supposed to help us!?" Dipper asked incredulously.

"Wendy! How did you know about her?" Mel hissed. Dipper looked over at his sister. She'd get punished for sure about what she did.

"I don't know," he said. Mabel smiled at Dipper.

"Yes, you do know something. I can't have her help you now. I will get someone else." Mel said angrily.

"You're getting someone to help us with would you rather!?" Dipper asked. Mel laughed.

"Oh Dipper. You have no idea what you just said. This isn't just some stupid game where little pre-teen girls sit in circles on the floor and giggle and gossip!" she yelled. "This is _real. _You choose it... you _do _it. Now leave me. Take them back where they came from, Adelphie. I don't want to see them again until tomorrow."

**How was this chapter? Please review! :) **


	16. Conclusions

Chapter 16

The twins sat in the cold, dark cell with the tight chains holding one of their aching arms pinned to the wall. They spent the day talking and doing their own games, but these were happy games. At night they slept beside each other, getting as much warmth as possible and shutting out the freezing cold world.

...

"Adelphie, I told you to go get them! Why haven't you!?" Mel asked the lady in white angrily.

"I could not, ma'am. You see, they were sleeping so peacefully I could not wake them." she replied.

"Go. Down. There. One. More. Time. And. I. Expect. To .See. Them. With. You. When. You . Come. Back." Mel said through gritted teeth. "Adelphie, are you _listening _to me!?"

"Yes, ma'am." Adelphie said guiltily. "Won't happen again."

"That's what you said last time, servant."

"I'll go, I promise."

"And Adelphie, one more thing."

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Feed me some grapes."

...

Mabel woke up to a bird call somwhere in a small, squared window at the top of the cell. Memories from the day before flooded back to her and she rested her head back on her brother's shoulder, too weak from fatigue to sit up.

"You okay?" Dipper asked.

"I'm nervous for today." Mabel said.

"You'd be stupid if you weren't." Dipper said, smiling a bit. He needed to smile for her, to keep her strong. He gave a sigh of relief when she smiled back.

...

There was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Dipper asked cautiously.

"I respect your weariness to whom comes in your presence. I am Adelphie, daughter of Androcles." a voice replied back.

"Come in." Dipper said reluctantly.

"You don't have a british accent!" Mabel exclaimed when the lady in white stood before them. "You're Greek!"

"I am." Adelphie said.

"Why are you here?" Dipper asked.

"I fear She wants you." Adelphie replied miserably.

"She? Do you mean Mel?" Dipper asked. Adelphie nodded.

"I wish more than anything She will let me free and let me go back to my homeland!" she said sadly. "But that will never come to be so. I am not worthy of speaking her name. She has more power over me than any other servant in the household."

"Mel has servants!?" Mabel asked angrily.

"Indeed." Adelphie replied.

"That's not right! Or leagal!" Mabel exclaimed. "And it's mean!"

"Alas, it is bad luck to be me, a lowly servant, from when before, I was rich of good luck in Greece."

"You sound like you're from... _ancient _Greece." Dipper said thoughtfully.

"Oh, Greece is _not _ancient! Greece is alive and thrives today as one of the most powerful city-states! It is surely well-known throughout all of the land!" Adelphie boasted, happy to brag about her country.

"Greece... is a country." Dipper said, getting worried.

"No. It is not so, sir." Adelphie said.

"Quick question- what year is it?" Dipper asked.

"Oh, young sir, I am most definitely sure of this. It is the year of 342 and King Philip II of Macedonia plans to take control of Greece! But I know that will not be so. Greece will fight! We will rise triumphant!" Adelphie said excitedly. Mabel backed away.

"She's crazy. We need to get away from her." she said.

"No. I sense... time travel." Dipper replied.

"Time travel!?" Mabel questioned. The dream. Her dream. It was real.

"Well, young sir and ma'am, I have been instructed by no other than She herself to bring you to her. I am saddened to carry out this deed, but you must follow me."


	17. Would You Rather

Chapter 17

"Adelphie, the prisoners?" Mel asked when she emerged. She bowed and led forward Dipper and Mabel. "Your good work is done, Adelphie. You have my permission to leave to make these prisoners a meal. It must be finished when the sun is at its peak in the sky."

"Yes, ma'am." Adelphie said and descend the dark steps once again.

"I expect you had a good sleep." Mel said, looking at her nails.

"You kept us in a jail." Dipper said darkly. Mel laughed.

"Yeah, appears I did. And you have anything to say about it?" she said.

"Yeah, I do." Dipper replied.

"I wouldn't, if I were you, Dipper Pines. I might just kill you right now." Mel said, leaning in. "You'll stay on my good side if you know what's best for you... and your sister." she added.

"Leave my sister out of this." Dipper said angrily. "If you know what's best for _you._" Mel growled.

"Never. Talk to me like that. Again." She closed her eyes. After five minutes they flashed open and she snapped her fingers. "Let's begin."

...

The twins found themselves in a huge arena- but with no seats or people. A loud voice came in Dipper's head.

"Dipper. Pines. Would. You. Rather."

"She's talking in my head!" he screamed, writhing in pain. Mabel was doing the same.

"We can both hear it!" she rasped.

"Cut yourself." the voice said.

"Or?" Dipper asked.

"Cut Ryan."

"What!?" Mabel asked in shock. A cage was brought down from the top of the arena with Ryan inside.

"You don't. Even know him." the voice said. "This is. Easy. Choose. Him." Dipper looked in the cage. Ryan was crying. "Cut. Him, Dipper. Save. Yourself. Protect. Your sister." Dipper set his face in determination.

"Never." he said. "I choose me."


	18. Drugged Prophecies Revealed

Chapter 18

"Bravery. It comes. With a. Price." the voice echoed, laughing in Dipper's head, mocking him. "What are you. Waiting for, hero?"

Dipper grabbed the knife and cut himself.

"This is for you, Tom." he muttered. "Six inches long and four inches deep."

"Don't let her get to you, Dipper. You did the right thing." Mabel said.

"Mabel. Pines. Would. You. Rather. Have Horrifying. Nightmares. For the rest. Of the year. Or see things that are not. Real."

"Nightmares." Mabel said, her voice wavering.

"Dipper. Pines. Would. You. Rather. See how you die. Or die. Unexpectedly."

"See how I die." Dipper replied. The world shook and Dipper found a blurry girl in front of him and a blurry girl behind him. A gunshot rang out in the silence and he fell to the ground, pain bursting in every corner of his body. Blood dripped from the inside of his mouth and white filled the room. And then- he was back in the arena.

"Dipper, are you okay?" Mabel asked worriedly. "You look like you've seen a ghost!"

"Worse." Dipper croaked. The day went on like that, getting worse and worse. And then, it was over. The sky darkened and the voice laughed.

"You are stupid. Stupid for being so frightened. We are all _friends _here. Now return to your prison. Adelphie made food for you. See you in the morning."

...

Mabel tossed and turned on the cold, hard floor. It was late at night and she was dreaming.

_I was working at the Mystery Shack when out of nowhere a zombie busted down the door and ate three people. The zombie's face was ripped and scarred, as were its clothes. A__s everyone was screaming and running away, the zombie opened its mouth and coughed up seven bullets. It ran into the forest and I followed it because I knew Dipper was in the forest also, reading his book. I saw him, my brother, by the base of a tree, reading. As I opened my mouth to warn him the zombie struck a match and lit the tree on fire. Dipper jumped back just in time and whirled around face to face with the zombie. I called to him to run, to do something, but he just stood there watching the it. Then it ripped off a flaming tree bark and slit his throat, killing him. I screamed and cried, yelling at the zombie to stop. But it lit his body on fire instead and smiled contentedly. No! I yelled. Get away! But it would not. Soon there was nothing left but ashes and I cried again. A whispy cloud trailed behind the ashes and it shook in a weak sort of way. It was crying too. Dipper? I asked the wisp. I could see it nod and shortly the rest of his body took place. Take my ashes back, Mabel. Take them back home. I love you, Mabel, but my soul will always be here. I love youuuuuuuuuu. The wisp disappeared and I screamed for Dipper. I tried to kill myself, too. I tried to catch my body on fire, but it didn't work. Blue light always appeared and the flames went out. I called for Dipper again and again. I called for him into the night. _

_ "_Mabel! What are you doing?" Dipper whispered sleepily, poking his sister. "Mabel wake up!"

"Dipper! Dipper! Come back! Take me with you!" Mabel screamed. "Come back!" Dipper nudged her harder and she awoke, crying.

"It was a dream." Dipper whispered as he hugged her.

"The worst dream." Mabel said as she fell again into another restless sleep in her brother's arms.

...

"Morning." Mel said as the twins were lead up to her again. "Sleep well?" she asked Mabel.

"No." Mabel said flatly.

"Follow me." Mel said. She brought them to a room with a huge red phone booth. "Check it out." she said. Halfheartedly the twins went inside and looked around. Dipper stood on a box that had a seven on it.

"Hey Mabel- look at this." he said. As Mabel walked towards him her waist accidentally pushed against a big wheel. It turned. The seven lit up around Dipper and he started to shout. Mabel tried to pull him off but it wasn't working. When the light became too bright she shaded her eyes and ran from the room.

"Mel- what did you do!?" she asked. Mel shrugged her shoulders innocently. As the light faded Mabel ran back inside and looked for her brother. Instead she found a little boy around the age of five staring up at her. Clarity began to fill up inside of her. He was standing on a seven. Dipper was seven less.


	19. War

Chapter 19

"Dipper told me I'd said something about turning a wheel when I was high. And now he really _is _seven less! And the dream- the Blendin Blandin guy said I'd mess with time again but not in the way I think..." Mabel thought aloud. "Mel!" she said. "Bring him back!"

"Never!" Mel laughed. "Unless... _you _play a little game with me. You'd like that, wouldn't you? Play a little game a big girl?"

"No, I wouldn't." Mabel replied hotly. "But if you say it's the only way you'll bring him back, okay." she said. Mel's eyes lit up. She snapped her fingers again.

"Okay. Let's begin." she said.

...

Mabel found herself in a wooded area with trees and rivers. The loud voice screamed in her head.

"Mabel... You. Would sacrifice. Your life for. Him. Would you. Not?" it asked. Mabel nodded.

"I would." she said.

"Would you, now." it replied and chuckled. "In the end, you'd be. Surprised how these. Tables turned." Mabel frowned. "Now. Let's see. We will. Play the same game as. Yesterday. But. This one. Has only one. Question.

"Shoot." Mabel said. The voice laughed.

"Soon, I will." it said.

"Just get to the point."

"Mabel. Pines. Would. You. Rather. Always fight. Me and. Never be content. Or just. Join. Me and. Be. Happy. Forever?" the voice asked. Dipper appeared out of nowhere.

"Mabel... just join her..." he said. "Be happy. Be with her. She loves you like a mother and plays with you like a friend..."

"Listen. To. Him. Choose. Me, Mabel. Sweet Mabel. Always does. The right thing. Wouldn't ever. Want. Anyone to be. Unhappy. Would you, Mabel?" the voice said soothingly. She felt a hand run through her hair.

"Maybe... I could," she whispered.

"Yes. You. Could. And. You will."

"Or not."

"NO!"

"I will never stop fighting you! You aren't right and you're evil and mean and keep slaves and hold people hostage in prisons and-"

"Mabel. Pines. You have. Played. My game. You have answered my. Requirements. To get him back."

Dipper disappeared and appeared again, and Mabel concluded the other must have been fake. "But. Wait. One. More question. Would. You. Rather. Run. Away. From. Me. Again. Or. Fight me. To FINISH THIS!?" the voice screamed, starting to sound more like Mel. Mabel crossed her arms.

"Do I look stupid!? I wouldn't fight with you!"

"You are. Acting. Like. A fool. You don't. Strike me. As a fool, Mabel Pines. Finish this. And we'll be... EVEN." Mabel's eyes widened.

"Let's fight." she said.


	20. Bad Dreams and Burdensome Discussions

Chapter 20

Mabel heard a snap of fingers and she was back in the Mystery Shack, and so was Dipper.

"Dipper!" she screamed. "We're alive!" The hugged and Mabel jumped up and down excitedly. "We're free." she whispered.

"I wouldn't be so sure." a voice said. The twins whirled around. It was Mel. "You still haven't gotten your book back. And Mabel, you made a deal with me. Get an army. Be ready to end this when you call me."

"Call you?" Dipper questioned.

"Yeah. Call my name. I'll hear you." She snapped her fingers again and was gone.

...

"Would. You. Rather. Die. Or. Him. Die."

"What?" Mabel asked.

"ANSWER!"

"Him." she answered. "What did I just say!?" she screamed. Dipper appeared in front of her, crying. Mel stabbed him with a dagger in the chest, head, and arm. She ate the blood as he died.

"Stop!" Mabel screamed. "Get out!" But Mel wouldn't until he was dead. The wisp appeared again and whispered to her to bring his body back home. "NO!" Mabel shouted. "COME BACK! MEL! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL-"

"Mabel! What's going on!?" Dipper exclaimed. Mabel opened her eyes. Dipper was standing by her bed, looking worried.

"You died again." she whispered. "I'm scared."

"It was just a dream, Mabel. Are you okay?"

"Can I sleep in your bed tonight?"

"If it helps you feel better, sure."

"Mel scarred us." Mabel whimpered.

"Yeah. She did. But- you'll be even with her and all of this will be over." Dipper assured his sister. "I hope."

"I don't want to drag everyone into a war!" Mabel exclaimed. "What are there- _guns _or something!?"

"That's exactly what there will be. She wouldn't have started this unless someone was gonna get killed." Dipper answered. Mabel nodded.

"She obviously wants something. Something she didn't have last time." she said.

"Like what?" Dipper asked.

"You." Mabel whispered.

"What!?" Dipper shouted.

"Shh!" Mabel hissed.

"Sorry... but _what _does that mean!?"

"It means she wants you. In ways I really can't imagine. She might torture you. Torture you for information. That's why I've ended up telling you almost everything so if she does actually do that you can tell her what she wants to know and she'll stop." Mabel answered.

"Thanks." Dipper said, smiling.

"Don't mention it."


	21. Shoppin'

Chapter 21

Mabel cried again in her sleep for the rest of the night. Dipper tried to console her, but it was no use.

...

"Are we going to get an army or what?" Mabel asked the next morning.

"Yes. The most powerful army two twelve-year-old kids can get. We need people that're good with a gun and can move pretty fast." Dipper answered. "But where we're supposed to find an army like that I don't know."

"But where are we going to find a gun?" Mabel asked.

"I wasn't really planning on killing anyone, Mabel." Dipper answered.

"Not killing. _Threatening." _Mabel said.

"Good point." Dipper replied. "In that case, how about... a place that sells guns?"

...

"What are you kids doin' here?" the cashier with a name tag that read, 'Gus' asked.

"Shopping." Dipper replied plainly.

"Shoppin'!?"

"We're fighting this evil girl in a war with guns and blood and all that good stuff to get back what she stole so we can be happy again, and guess what I'm going to do with..." As Mabel babbled to Gus, Dipper walked past the aisles of guns in awe. He'd never been in a gun store before, and it gave him a superior feeling. He soon found a sleek black gun and read the label carefully. Since they were small, they were only $79 each. Still, it ran him some money, so his army was going to have to come with their own guns. He walked up to Gus.

"Sir, we'll take two of those black ones in the back." he said.

"And you expect me to be fixin' to do that?" Gus asked. "You look a little... _young,_" and he burst out laughing.

"I'm sorry you find us funny, but we're in a hurry. okay?" Dipper exclaimed.

"You kids don't look a day over nine!" Gus laughed, wiping his eyes. Dipper's face reddened.

"Nine!? We are _not _nine!" he shouted.

"Well then how old are you?" Gus asked, amused.

"_Not _nine!"

"Now _that _I don't believe. And anyway, to purchase anything in this store, I need to see a permit or and ID." Gus replied.

"What do we do now!?" Dipper whispered.

"It's easy." Mabel whispered back. "We have our fake ID's, remember?"

"This guy is pretty smart, though." Dipper replied.

"For a home-owned gun shop guy?"

"Good point. Again." Dipper said, then raised his voice. "Here. We have our ID's." He handed them to Gus. He sighed.

"Works for me." he said.

...

Dipper and Mabel were soon walking home with a bag that read, 'Thanks for visitin', darlin'!' Dipper turned the gun over in his hands. He had never held one before. It was heavy and smooth and felt most of all... powerful.

"I can't believe we just bought guns!" Mabel said gleefully.

"Me neither!" Dipper replied, laughing. "And I don't think Mel would believe it either!" Mabel nodded.

"We're going to beat her." she said.

"Good always wins against evil, in the end." Dipper replied, smiling. "Every time."


	22. Loser

Chapter 22

"Hey dudes! Where were you?" Soos asked the twins.

"Gun shopping!" Mabel exclaimed, her eyes growing big as she pulled out a gun and pointed it at Dipper's face. "Pew pew pew!" she shouted gleefully.

"Whoa, dude. Maybe you shouldn't do that. It's a pretty dangerous object." Soos said worriedly.

"Yeah, Mabel. Give it a rest," Dipper agreed.

"It's on safety lock," Mabel grumbled.

"Well, anyway, we'd better leave you to what you were doing. See you later, Soos." Dipper said, turning to go.

"Soos! You wanna be in our army?" Mabel asked excitedly.

"Army...?"

"Come on, Mabel. Let's go." Dipper said.

...

"Why did you stop me? Soos would've been _awesome _to have in our army!" Mabel exclaimed.

"Do you even understand the concept of war, and armies!?" Dipper asked. Mabel nodded earnestly. "No, you don't!" Dipper shouted and shook her shoulders. "People _die _in war. Tens. Hundreds. _Thousands. _Do you want Soos to be dead!?" Mabel shook her head vigorously as Dipper went over to his bed.

"But- are _we _going to die?" she asked. Dipper stopped leafing through a book and looked over at his sister. Her eyes were full of hopeless childhood longing.

"Of course we aren't, Mabel. But- I don't think most of our army will. And to die for something like this- they won't want to do it."

"This is confusing." Mabel said.

"It is." Dipper replied. Mabel went over to her bed and put her head down. She was sad. It was obvious. "You okay, Mabel?" Dipper asked. Mabel nodded. "You're lying," he said, grinning. Mabel looked up with her own devilish grin.

"Then why'd you ask?" she inquired.

"To test your abilities... and so far, they suck!" Dipper returned, laughing. Mabel laughed as well.

"Fine! I'm _not _okay!" she giggled.

"We still have a few more hours of daylight. What do you want to do?" Dipper asked.

"Grocery shopping."

"What!?"

"Grocery shopping."

"Why!?"

"I don't want to be hungry when we go back!" Mabel laughed. "You don't really expect Mel is gonna _feed _us, do you?"

"Guess not."

...

"Candy! Look at all the _candy_!" Mabel shouted, tripping over a candy barrel. "Can we buy some, Dipper? _Please?_" Dipper looked around. A banner read, 'Candy Week' in candy wrappers. _Of all weeks..._ he thought. He nodded slowly.

"But- Mabel- only a little-" Mabel dumped ten packages of candy in the cart unceremoniously. "Bit..." Dipper finished. Mabel smiled contentedly, but frowned as Pacifica Northwest and her friends walked up to them, laughing.

"Well, look. Mabel's shopping like the fat pig she is." Pacifica snorted.

"I'm not fat." Mabel said hotly.

"Natural for _you _to say that. I'm right. Right?" Pacifica returned as her friends nodded in agreement.

"She _is _fat," they whispered loudly and giggled.

"I'm n-not!" Mabel said, her voice cracking as her eyes filled with tears. Pacifica patted the candy bags and her friends started snickering.

"Fat!" Pacifica giggled. Mabel ran away, face burning and eyes pouring with tears. "She's having a meltdown!" Pacifica scoffed gleefully and her friends scoffed with her. Dipper stared at her.

"You're so mean," he said. Pacifica blushed.

"No, Dipper- wait-"

"Look what you did. You have no idea what she's been through." Dipper said angrily, walking away from Pacifica to find his sister. But Pacifica and her friends followed him, much to his distaste. They found her in the toothpaste aisle with her head in her arms, sobbing.

"So the fat pig _does _know about toothpaste!" Pacifica whispered loudly, and she and her friends laughed as Mabel gave another pained sob.

"Would you leave her alone!?" Dipper said furiously. "You're just in a bad mood because daddy bought you the 23 carat gold necklace instead of the 24 carat!" he added sarcastically. Pacifica shook her head as her face strangely burned.

"She's just insecure about her weight. I'm trying to help her!" she protested. "She's an ugly fat girl that's gross to look at." People started to stare at Mabel, and it was hard not to. Her eyes and cheeks were a bloodshot red, not to mention the fact that Pacifica was pointing at her too. Some younger kids started pointing and laughing as well, which made her tears flow even more.

"Come on, Mabel. We need to get out of here." Dipper told his sister, helping her get up as she nodded. As Dipper led her away, Pacifica mouthed one last word for Mabel and Mabel only:

"Loser."


	23. The Girl in the Mirror

Chapter 23

Mabel was burning. It wasn't fire that consumed her writhing body, but fever. She hadn't eaten all that day; confined to the solitude of her comfort zone sheets. The blistering summer heat sunk through the covers, creating a massive, dizzying headache that couldn't be soothed. She fell into a restless, heated sleep.

_My eyes shoot open. I am running through a back alley-way, tripping over my heels. The air is fresh, and scented with blooming flowers and budding tree leaves. It is springtime. I'm running home, through this alley. But I'm worried it will take me someplace unfamiliar, someplace I don't know about. But much to my pleasure it dumps my out by an extremely familiar school that is dismissing for the day. I jog past a few more houses, and then- there it is. I dig around in my bright green bookbag for the key, and punch it in the lock. As I open the door, my arm muscles ache from exercising yesterday. My hair feels mussed. I check my reflection. Dark hair casscading past my shouders in elegant waves and curls; dark, deep, and serious eyes set in a forever somber gaze. Bags drooping under the lids, matching today's personality. My school uniform is drenched in sweat, much like my brow. I turn away. The reflection I see is not satisfying. I wish more than anything to not be this. I just killed my best friend in a rage, and I'll likely go to jail. But- there's something I have to destroy, so possibly this won't be my fate__. The flower. I need to destroy it. I'd stolen it from a man in a funny white coat and red rubber rain boots, seeing it funny as he cries in fear when he realizes it's missing. But I've found its power. And I've used it. Ever since I got home from that creepy place in Oregon, I've used it. I tear up the stairs and open a lock with my voice. There it is. It's so beautiful; why do I want to destroy it? I know the answer to that. I look around the room, and spot a drawer stuffed with precious silver and pearl. As I rumage through it, I notice a lonesome mirror, adorned with silver filigree surrounding the glass, and jade and pearl merge with ruby beside the smooth edges. It's perfect. I take the mirror up, cradling it in my arms. This is my ticket to freedom. I destroy this flower, and- there is no time to think. I raise the glass mirror. It briefly flashes as I __pummel it forward, faster than light. But my oddly the mirror changes direction and plunges its silver into my right arm, and immediately it begins to swell. I drop the mirror to the floor in pain and it shatters into little pieces. The twinkling lights seem to mock me, gleefully laughing as I jerk in agony. What made my hand change direction like that!? It seems like a sort of magic. I barrier. A forcefield. I can't destroy the flower myself. I need someone else to do it for me. It has to be the perfect one. I stare into the shattered remains of the hand mirror. The legend of it goes to a time before I can remember. A seeing stone. Gaze into the glass, and you will see the one you need most. A grin spread across my face as I focused my sight on the crushed fragments and stare into the eyes of a new reflection. I am glad to be rid of my own, even if it is just in one hand mirror. The image is of a girl. She is my age, but doesn't look like me. She has kind, bright chocolate eyes, where mine are dark, gaping holes that can bore into your soul and have never known a laugh. Her long, quail brown hair falls in curls at the bottom, and, much to my displeasure, even that looks innocent. My own hair is a darker brown, and has an ominous feel, very much unlike a peppy schoolgirl like this one. Barely there braces fill her smile. I wish my straight teeth could wear them. All the other girls have them, and they stay away from me because I always seem to act better than them because of my straight-toothed smile. They don't like me because I make them feel different. But it's really me who's the different one. Her rosy cheeks make her entire face light up, but my face hasn't lit up in years. In swirly, curled letters, a name reads, Mabel Pines. "Mabel Pines," I mutter. "I've got you now."  
_

Mabel awoke with a start, drenched in sweat and breathing fervently.

"You okay?" Dipper asked, his voice muffled to Mabel from her burrow inside the covers. Dipper frowned and returned to his book. It had been like that for the past two days. Mabel hadn't eaten at all. She was just a mass of blankets, and she slept miserably day and night. Pacifica's bullying had finally really gotten to her. Dipper checked his watch. 6:00. "Y'know," he said, "It's almost time for dinner. We could eat out, if you like. I'll pay." The sheets did not reply. Motionless, Dipper crept across the floor and snatched off the tangled bedcovers. Mabel was curled up in a little wet ball, face set in a pained, heated expression. Dipper, feeling awful, stroked her burning back and gently pulled her wet hair away from her face. Her rigid feel loosened, which allowed Dipper to quietly slip away and return with a clean sweater and skirt, which Mabel reluctantly rook and retired to take a shower. When she was finished, she stared at her reflection. For a moment, she stared into the dark haired girl's solemn eyes. She blinked, and then it was gone.


	24. The Summoning

Chapter 24

Never in his life had Dipper felt awkward around his twin sister. She was just being so quiet, and didn't even try to start a conversation like she usually did.

"Mabel... I'm starting to think this is more than 's going _on?" _he asked finally.

"I'm just thinking," his sister replied plainly. They arrived at a restaurant and seated themselves according to the sign. A waiter came to take their orders and as Dipper was ordering, Mabel saw out of the corner of her left eye a flicker of movement. Whirling around, she saw the dark haired girl; her eyes boring into Mabel's chocolate ones. She blinked quickly, and then she was gone.

"I have to go." Mabel whispered, standing up and walking out the door in a trance-like walk, ignoring Dipper's startled cries of protest.

...

Mabel walked into the forest, trying to rid her brain the image of the girl. She couldn't get that forever serious gaze out of her mind, or the dream. The late evening sun flashed a final ray, and disappeared behind a darkening cloud. Now Mabel wished she could go with the sun; she really wanted her brother to be safe. She contemplated for another hourwatching the sun slowly set and the world turn to darkness. As she got up to head home, she heard a static crackling noise. A terrified deer sprang into her path, rearing ita hooves on her calf.

"Ouch" Mabel shouted, and her cry echoed through the woods. Investigating the area, Mabel crept quietly among dead tree limbs and fallen leaves. She noticed fresh footprints in the wet soil, obviously imprinted earlier that hour. A sudden feeling of uneasiness wasked over Mabel, and she turned around quickly so there were no sudden attacks from behind. After another static crackle, Mabel turned and tried to run. But a sort of invisible force held her back. Flailing her arms and legs, she tried silently to get away. But she was stuck. Limply, she dropped her arms and continued forward. There was no way out. The static was louder now, and ir gave Mabel a peculiar negative feeling. She didn't want to walk forward. She wabted to go home. A bright light suddenly shone in her faceand her arms flew up, shielding her eyes. Squinting, Mabel saw jagged rocks as tall as small hills arranged in a lopsided formation, all the way down a steep slope. Mabel's heart was beating out of her chest. A strike of lightning lit up the dark sky, and seemed to land and hold between two of the rocks. More static crackled, and a shape seemed to form from the lightning. It was suspended in the air between the rocks- flickering in and out weakly. Mabel screamed, and once more failed at an attempt to run backwards. The shape crackled, growing stronger and more definate. It was a girl, her body glowing and wavering as if it were on fire. Instead of where her eys should have been, there were two huge, gaping pitch black holes that looked like a skeleton's and seemed to be endless as they stared straight into her soul. Her gaunt cheeks and mouth were curled into a hideous, yellow grin like a deranged jack-o-lantern. Mabel shrieked at the horrific sight, slamming her eyelids shut. A cackle sounded in her ears, and she felt a sharp, bony finger as hot as fire lift them up so she could see. The girl's grotesque grinning face was inches away from Mabel's. She squirmed, and turned her head away as far as she could. The girl, seemingly satisfyed at traumitizung Mabel, returned to hover between the rocks, her glowing, crackling body so bright it lit up not only that clearing, but ten others as well. Mabel hurled a rock at the girl, and as it hit her mouth, she screeched in anguish as her mouth sagged like it wasn't connected to her face. Horrified, Mabel watched as the girl moaned as she snapped it back in place. The awful grin returned, and Mabel shuddered at the sight. Finally, the girl spoke. It was a purely horrible voice, sounding like grinding metal and a young child, a man, and a woman speaking all at once.

"At last," she rasped. "Sweet Mabel. Pretty Mabel. I've got you now." The girl outstretched her arms, inviting Mabel in.

"Who are you?" Mabel squeaked.

"I am the dark haired one, whom you think of often. We look different, but really we are alike. Really we are one."

"I've never seen you before in my life!" Mabel shouted. The glowing flared as the dark haired girl spoke again.

"Maybe not like this, Mabel. But trust me. Come here, Mabel." She outstretched her arms again. "I love you, best friend. Come, Mabel. Come with me!" she persuaded. Mabel screamed and ran forward. The girl tried to catch her, but Mabel was too fast. As she was running, Mabel tripped over a root and was sent tumbling head over heels down the slope. Even the thorn bushes couldn't break her fall. They just ripped off flesh and tore her clothes. A sleeve of her sweater tore off, making her bare shoulder vunerable to any other obstacles. The still-throbbing bruise from the nervous deer was purple and bleeding. Mabel cried out as she turned another backwards somersault over little sharp rocks. Mabel fell to the bottom of the slope, which was a shallow pond, and fell unconcious as her head slammed into a boulder in the freezing water.

**So I think the moral of this chapter is don't trip when you're running down a steep slope... ;) Please review!**


	25. Death by a Slope

**I typed the last chaper on my Nook, and I really suck at typing on it, so there are some errors, like when Dipper asked, "Mabel... I'm starting to think this is more than 's going _on_?" It was supposed to say, "Mabel... I'm starting to think this is more than Pacifica. What's going _on_?" I'm sure there's more but that's all I've noticed. Sorry! :3  
**

Chapter 25

"Mabel! Mabel wake up! Mabel- come on... please!" a voice shouted. "Just give me a sign you're okay... anything!" Mabel knew it was her brother that was pleading. She tried to do something. She tried something as simple as opening her eyes. But they seemed plastered shut. She then tried to wiggle her fingers. She tried really hard. But she couldn't. It was so hard, so dizzying. A horrifying thought crossed her mind. Was she paralyzed? A vegetable forever... At the thought she started to cry. Or at least she tried. Evey tear that slipped from the corners of her eyes made her cheeks sting and burn. "Oh, Mabel- you're okay!" Dipper laughed, tears spilling from his own eyes. He hugged his sister close. "Just wait, okay? I'll get you to a hospital..." he whispered. Mabel heard him call an ambulance and five minutes later she heard it crashing down the slope. She heard paramedics talking urgently, but couldn't make out what they were saying. "Yeah, but the only movement I got were tears..." she heard Dipper explain. More muffled speaking and she was lifted onto a stretcher and into what she guessed was an ambulance. Dipper was there, too, luckily; she knew. She just knew. Before she fell into another stage of unconsciousness, she felt a huge gas mask set on her face...

...

Mabel groggily opened her eyes. A sense of peace and tranquility overwhelmed her as she looked dreamily on the white hospital room; looked lovingly on her brother and Grunkle Stan as they cried out in despair as some sort of monitor stopped. But Mabel knew they'd be okay, after all, she was. And lastly she beamed on her own body, for if you looked past the deranged look about it, it really looked quite innocent. But she was relieved to leave that old body behind and all the troubles it held with it. She rose further and soon she could see her very own house in California. Mabel gave a shout of glee as she saw her parents. They were bent over in pain, but why on earth should they!? Mabel was so happy, so at ease. She was delighted to leave this old place, full of lying, pain, and cheating. Breathing was really hard. In fact, it was easier _not _breathing. And then there was the tunnel... oh the tunnel was so beautiful. She eagerly ran to the light at the end of it... it tugged at her heart more and more and more- until she was there. Light exploded at the end, and a shadow covered the light, a beautiful white shadow with wings and Mabel cried out in joy. There were her cousins below the winged beauty that had died in a fire. Her aunt who had died from a heart attack, and her great-grandparents other ancestors. With a squeal of delight she ran towards her most beloved grandmother, who had passed away a year ago. She called for her, and in a second her grandmother was by her side, holding her close. "I'm in paradise." Mabel whispered. When her grandmother spoke her voice was young and sweet and pure, and Mabel just wanted to stay in her arms forever.

"Mabel, my Mabel,"she said lovingly. It didn't really feel like she was actually speaking; it felt like a most wonderful feeling that she'd never felt before. "You have a beloved family who loves you, and needs you. It may feel like it, but it is not your time, my Mabel. Dipper has suicide thoughts from losing you. Your parents' world is ripped in half. Life isn't life to those whom you are loved without you. " Mabel did not want to go back to the place with war, and hate. She did not want to go back to Mel and the dark haired girl. Sorcha was her name. She remembered now. All of a sudden, she was standing in a cemetery. She'd been there before. Dark thunderclouds covered the sky and a procession was grieving under a tent with flowers surrounding a dug out hole. A coffin was placed inside, and before they covered it, she saw Dipper, grief-stricken scream as he lunged over it, sobbing and not letting go. Mel was there too, and Mabel knew that Mel had never wanted this to happen. She was crying, and looked absolutely crushed. The scene was gone, and Mabel knew she had to go back. Her grandmother smiled lovingly, and she let go of her grasp. And then... her eyes shot open.


	26. Life isn't Fair

Chapter 26

"She's alive!" The call rang out through the hallways. PAs, doctors, nurses, and medical students flooded to Mabel's hospital room, marveling her miraculous journey from death to life.

"It wasn't _really _death to life," a doctor loudly tried to explain. "It's scientifically called a _near death_ ex_perience!"_

"It was- like _magic!" _a PA explained in amazement. "She just- opened her eyes!"

"The heart monitor started up again… we had nothing to do with it!"

"The girl fell off a _cliff_!?"

"No, I believe it was a rock."

"You idiot it was a _slope_!"

"Look how much skin was torn off!" a young medical student said in disgust. "Thorn bushes, looks like. Blech." Mabel looked down at her body self consciously. Immediately she wished she hadn't. Skin was ripping off, not to mention huge, angry purple and black bruises, a mangled leg in a nasty position, and small rocks wedged into her limbs. She didn't even want to feel her head. If the skull was cracked, she could die for... _real? _A happy sensation that felt warm and fuzzy took over her body. She wanted to go back to the heavenly place. She was so disappointed when she came back, feeling as if a small child would feel when they left their grandma's house with warm cookies, love, and-

"Mabel!" The excited chatter in the room stopped and Mabel's thoughts broke. She saw her brother, grinning broadly with swollen red eyes and tearstained cheeks. She opened her arms out to him with a newfound strength. In a matter of seconds, he was there.

"You really did die this time," he laughed as he cried, recalling the memory.

"No flower _or _hill can stop me from coming back to my brother." Mabel said firmly. "Never."

...

"Mabel Pines? Your test results are in. You have a small fracture in your skull, as well as some pieces have shifted. We are taking you into immediate care, although some effects of the fracture may last a few years, such as headaches, panic attacks, drowsiness, nauseousness, loss of consciousness, vomiting, changes in pupils such as sizes being unequal and not reactive to light, restlessness, and confusion. We highly recommend a surgery to replace the pieces that have shifted, as well as imaging tests such as cerebral arteriography to see the flowing of blood vessels in your head. We also highly recommend you take medicines such as antibiotics to help prevent infection, antinausea medicine to calm your stomach and prevent vomiting, sedative to help you stay calm and relaxed, and steroid medicine to decrease inflammation. Do you have any questions?" a nurse finished her long speech and looked up. Mabel's eyes were as big as a cat's and her brother was holding her cold hand. "You can come pick up the medicine later if you like."

...

_"Come on, Mabel. We're best friends." _

"_No! You tried to murder her! She trusted you! A girl who loved you, and trusted you. And you were going to murder her. Over a flower..." I shouted. Sorcha leaned her face in, her dark curls writhing and growing around me like a canopy. _

"_I needed it then as much as I do now. I can't destroy it and you know very well why. I'm going to get you, Mabel Pines, and when I do you're going to wish you had bever been born. You're going to help me whether you like it or not. Somehow you know everything I do. Feel everything I feel. We're very alike, you know. And you know it." she hissed._

_"Why do I have to do this!? I don't want to help you!" I scream in frustration._

_"Then why did you come back?"_

_"That wasn't my choice and you know it."_

_"You're right. It was mine."  
_

_"That isn't fair!"  
_

_"_Life _isn't fair!" Sorcha said in fury. "I'm going to __get you. I will hunt you down. You are so _dead_!" I turned away at her words. _

_ "That's right. Cower. It's where a dirty snitch belongs, anyway." Sorcha scoffed. "Enjoy your life for the time being. While you can." She turned slowly into the ghastly figure at the top of the slope and swug my hands like a little girl. "While you can."_


	27. Anesthetized

Chapter 27

Mabel tapped her fingers anxiously on the bedside table. She was really angry at Dipper for forcing her to take _all_ of her medicine, and really worried about her surgery later that day, while also furious at Grunkle Stan for making her have a surgery, and at the same time sick and felt like she had to barf, which gave Dipper another reason to force her to more medicine. But of all things, she was absolutely starving. She hadn't eaten in four days, and wouldn't be allowed to eat until after the surgery. Dipper noticed her about to retch and quickly but forcefully handed her two ridiculously large horse pills and a glass of water as she groaned. _  
_

...

Mabel's surgery was in progress, and Dipper was almost as nervous as she had been. The nurse had explained exactly what was going to happen in detail so graphic, he almost puked himself. But he was grateful in a way that Grunkle Stan had agreed to let her have it, considering the cheap phony Dipper had always thought he'd been. He was also in the waiting room, waiting as tensely as Dipper. But before he knew it, Dipper was lost in thought about a few hours ago as the PAs rolled Mabel into the operating room...

_Shrill screams could be heard throughout the hospital as Mabel flailing her arms and legs, trying to escape being rolled into the operating room._

_"No! Dipper, no! Don't let them do this to me... just stop- just s-stop!" she wailed. The PAs tried to calm her as they rolled her in, but it was no use. _

_"Mabel- it's okay! You'll be fine... I'll see you after the operation... It'll be okay!" Dipper yelled the last words as the door slammed shut._

Dipper picked up a magazine and skimmed through the pages, too nervous to read. After another hour of this, the door swung open and a nurse walked in, holding a clipboard.

"Family of Mabel Pines?" she asked. Grunkle Stan awkwardly raised his hand. "Your..." she looked him up and down, "Daughter... is ready to see you in the post-operating room." Grunkle Stan coughed.

"Great-niece," he said rustily. Dipper followed his great-uncle and the nurse into a bright, colorful room with flowers and canarys in a birdcage. His sister was still asleep in a bed, and the nurse explained to take it easy on her when she woke up because of the anesthesia. Almost as if on cue, Mabel awoke groggily and the nurse propped her head on the pillow.

"Make sure she stays like this," she explained as she left the room.

"My heaadd huts," Mabel said dizzily. Dipper laughed.

"How was it, Mabel?" he asked.

"Whhuu..."

"How was it?" Dipper asked again, trying to stop laughing. Mabel blinked.

"I duuunnn..."

"You don't know?"

"Theyyy sticked mives innn my headd..."

"You mean _stuck_? And _knives_?"

"Nnnno..." Stan watched as his great-nephew laughed his butt off and he shifted his position in discomfort. How was he supposed to talk to the kid? She looked drunk on top of drunk and couldn't even say a real word. Maybe this surgery wasn't such a good idea...

"Hey, Grunkle Stan! Why don't you say hey to Mabel?" Dipper called, cracking up. Stan broke out into a sweat. He couldn't look weak, though, so he felt his feet make his way to the dazed girl on the bed.

"Uh... hey," he said shortly.

"Isss dogsss rlll..." Mabel said stupidly.

"Uh..." Stan heard Dipper stifle his laughter from behind. Stan scratched his head wearily. This was going to be a long day.


	28. The Burning Building

Chapter 28

It was a funny sort of clock, and as the effects of the anesthesia left Mabel with extremely sensitive hearing, the ticks were loud and beating like a drum inside her ears. Its rythmic ticks kept Mabel from sleep, and hours (or minutes) could be heard ticking away. She turned her pillow to the cool side for the thousandth time, her eyes drooping but too awake to sleep. The bandages covering her head smoldered her scalp, making her head stuffy and burning. She snuggled farther into the covers of the hospital bed, and eventually sleep found her.

_"I've got you now!" A voice screamed. A scream that wasn't Sorcha's. It sounded more... human-like. "You're going to regret trying to kill me now! I tricked you, you see. You won't make it for war. I'll already be even!" _

The gleeful shouts ended. Was it real, or a dream? The clock was louder now, and Mabel knew she couldn't sleep.

"Dipper!" she whispered hoarsley.

"Whnmshl Mbl..." came the reply.

"Wake up!" Mabel urged.

"What!?" Dipper asked grumpily.

"All I was asking was if you could turn off that clock!" Mabel said defensively. Dipper fumbled with the switches of the digital clock on the bedside table. "Not that one! I think there's like, an analog clock on the wall or something." Mabel said. "Listen. The ticking is driving me crazy." Dipper looked around and listened. His eyes shot open all the way and a look of horror replaced his frown.

"Mabel. We need to get out of here. Now," he said, voice rising.

"What's wrong!?"

"Mabel. There is no clock!" The next sequence almost seemed to happed in slow motion. Beeping replaced the ticking, and in a loud explosion the wall busted open in flames and plaster. Mabel shrieked and hid under the destruction as she heard more beeping and explosion. Dipper pulled her out and she squealed.

"No!" Wordlessly Dipper pushed her out of the hospital room and quickly led her past the rubble. Bodies littered the floor and hospital workers were tending to them. More explosions- and the place was on fire. Mabel screamed as a body fell in front of her through the open ceiling. People in bandages, casts, and amputated arms ran to evacuate, more bombs exploding in their wake. "Dipper- where's Grunkle Stan!?" Mabel asked in alarm.

"He's fine. Went home to get some sleep- and breakfast. Says- hospital food and chairs- suck-" Dipper replied through heavy breathing. Mabel heaved a sigh of relief. The twins tried to escape through the only exit- the entrance. Most of the patients had escaped, and were each calling 911 outside. As they neared the door, a heavy beam aglow with fire dropped out of the ceiling and blocked their path. Soon the whole door was engulfed in the flames. The people outside shouted as they saw two children trapped inside, trying to break free. Finally, the fire trucks arrived, and hurriedly some onlookers tried to explain there were still some doctors and patients trapped inside. The firemen hosed the place down, and soon there was nothing left but charred remains of a destroyed building. Early morning sun shone on the mourners with loved ones killed inside. A man- an older man- could be seen pushing aside the people with three take out boxes.

"Has anyone seen two kids- a girl and a boy...?" he asked worriedly. "The girl was wearing bandages on her head-" A fireman clapped a hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

"I'm sorry, sir. A lady explained it to me. They were trapped. They didn't make it."


	29. The Newspaper

Chapter 29

Stan picked up a copy of the _Gravity Falls Gossiper_, for even though he thought this newspaper was cheap, he had to find more information on Dipper and Mabel. He wasn't sure he believed they were dead- either that or he didn't want to. Flipping to page 6, a picture of the burning hospital was splayed across the top. Underneath read:

_Startling all patients and hospital workers was the bombing explosions of the Gravity Falls Hospital; the bomber is still unknown. The building caught fire and destroyed all hospital records. Most of the patients and workers evacuated in time, but, "The only exit was soon blocked by some huge beam thingamaggiger... and no one could escape after that!" quotes Esme Thomas, current resident at the Gravity Falls Retirement Home and hospitalized for breaking her wrist. Those killed in the bombing are known to be:_

_Marilyn Sweenston, aged 35_

_Sally Alder, aged 19_

_Julianna Golden, aged 9_

_Vicki and Reggie Clark, aged 56 and 59_

_Kevin Jonson, aged 44_

_Marie and Jaclyn Heart, aged 20 and 23_

_Aaron Atkinson, aged 33_

_Oliver, Tally, William, and Elsa McCoy, aged 6, 14, 36, and 34 _

_Lily Saunters Wright, aged 76_

_Dipper and Mabel Pines, aged 12 _

_Tobias Orman, aged 80_

_Richard and Wesley Spire, aged 45 _

_These are the only official deceased._

Stan frantically searched through the paper for more news on the hospital, but found nothing. He crumpled it up in anguish and defeat. His great-niece and nephew were dead. He'd just informed their parents Mabel was alive and now- Stan put his head in his hands.

"What's wrong, Mr. Pines?" A voice asked. It was Soos.

"You haven't heard?" Stan answered.

"Heard what?"

"You'd best read this," Stan replied, giving Soos the crumpled up paper. The two men sat for awhile on the table chairs, wordless and grief-stricken.

"I'll never forget those dudes," Soos said sadly.

"Me neither," Stan said. "Me neither."


	30. An Unexpected Visit

Chapter 30

Mabel and Dipper slept. Never in their lives had she they known such a dense sleep: a sleep without dreaming, without the slightest twitch of finger or eyelid. They were as lifeless as a pressed flower. If they had been awake, they could not have said whether their eyes were open or shut. Their minds were empty, freed from terror and grief. The night before, they had seen cold and darkness; now darkness and cold claimed them, and neither twin was afraid.

...

Stan decided to have a funeral for the twins and arranged it later during the week. The grave markers were to be in California, their birthplace, but he got two of his own for his backyard. Their parents were coming as well, and Stan could barely explain the news to them. He knew they'd never trust him with child care again.

...

Mel read the crummy _Gravity Falls Gossiper _newspaper and chuckled happily.

"I finally got her back," she whispered with joy. "Finally." Her grin faltered a bit at the sight of a black cat jumping through the window. She remembered. It was her mark. She could do stupid magic stuff like that... She'd even taught Mel how to flash into someone's mind. The cat arched its back and uttered a low, droning growl.

"Whhhhaaaattttt ddddddiiiddddddd yyyyoooouuuu doddddoooooo..." Mel could make out. It was her.

"Back so soon, old friend?" she asked. The cat grew larger and more human-like as it spoke.

"IIIIIIIII aaaammmmm nnnnoootttt yyyyooour ffrriend anymore, Melodie Jhonston. Now answer me. What did you do!?" the cat/human asked.

"You know as well as I, varmit. I killed Mabel." Mel said. "Payback for what she did to me."

"You are stupid. Stupid, stupid girl. Do you really know what happened in the cemetery that night?" the cat/humann asked again, now taking the form of a girl, a dark haired girl at that, resembling the cat's pitch black fur.

"What do you mean, Sorcha!?"

"What I _mean _is that you must've came at the second half of the bedtime story, and the first half, to someone like you, is _vital._ And what's vital for me... is the prologue."

"Okay... _now _you aren't making any sense." Mel said. "You can leave now."

"Of course. Just let me explain how wrong you are at those events in the first place. You won't ever want to call me friend again- you'll want to murder me- but... now I'm more powerful than you... and it isn't possible." Sorcha tossed back her head and laughed. "Let me take you back five years ago..."

...

Wendy cried at the funeral for Dipper and Mabel. She felt partially responsible for their deaths- giving them away to Mel... (obviously the bomber was Mel and she was getting some sort of revenge) and now she wasn't even with Robbie anymore... it was all just a big mess. She buried her face in her hands. She'd never forget this as long as she lived. Something so horrible... so unrealistic... Wendy left the church sobbing and ran into the woods.

...

Mel was shocked.

"You! You're a-"

"Before you call me anything to make me leave, I'd like to tell you just how smart and resourceful I am. I got her, Mel. I got her." Sorcha said teasingly.

"How- what- why-!?" Mel started. "I just killed her! She was mine to finish! Tell me right now." Sorcha mock-squealed.

"Another story! Will the fun ever end?" she said.

"Just tell me how it went." Mel said curtly. "Before I kick your cat butt out." Sorcha cleared her throat.

"That isn't my form at the moment," she said, hand darting out to catch a spider. She twirled it in her hands forcefully as it writhed in pain. "Now. At the night of the bombing...

_The twins tried to escape through the only exit- the entrance. Most of the patients had escaped, and were each calling 911 outside. As they neared the door, a heavy beam aglow with fire dropped out of the ceiling and blocked their path. Soon the whole door was engulfed in the flames. __  
_

_"We're dead!" Mabel cried. "We're dead!" _

_"No... no we're not. That's not the only way to get out... I'm sure!" Dipper said strongly._

_"Sure, there's a magical door to Narnia that will appear out of nowhere if we say the words 'dog turd'!" Mabel said __sarcastically._

_"That wouldn't be the thing I would say to the only other person in the room if I was about to die in a fire!" Dipper shouted from the other side of the room. _

_"You just said we weren't!" _

_"I know. I was just saying that to you to see what you'd do!" Dipper called. Mabel huffed and sat down.  
_

_"What are you doing!?" she asked._

_"Mabel!_

_"What?" Mabel said._

_"I didn't..." Dipper said slowly and backed away from the corner. "Say anything."_

_"Mabel! Follow me! Come through here!" the voice echoed through the burning hallway. Rusting hinges could be heard scraping off by a screwdriver. Something metal could be heard clattering to the floor. There, on the floor, was a vent. _

_"Quickly! Through there!" Mabel shouted. The twins clumsily clambered into the small vent and noisily clambered by the metal walls. The end was ablaze with fire. _

_"Fire!" Dipper yelled. Two spindly, pale, skeleton-like hands drowned the fire with water, almost as if with her fingers. It looked like the water spurted out of them like a stream. Mabel shook her head. Those things didn't just happen. The twins reached the end of the vent and dropped onto the ground. Looking up with surprise, they saw a tall, elegant lady dressed in white. Golden hair cascaded down her back streaked with hues of pale pink and green, while pale pink and green buds dotted her hair. The only thing off were her eyes. Almost black, they bored into Mabel's eyes. They gleamed and Mabel knew this was no angel. She was staring evil in the eyes. _

_"Thanks," Dipper said. "You saved our lives." The lady gazed down and stared at him._

_"Oh, I can do _much _more than that," she said. Dipper's eyes glazed over and he fell on the ground in a stock-still asleep._

_"No! Dipper- that's Sorcha! Don't-" Mabel started._

_"Look at me, Mabel. Sweet Mabel. Pretty Mabel. Wouldn't want to hurt anyone," the lady said sweetly._

_"Never! You said that to me on the hill- you-"_

_"Look at me, child." Against her will, Mabel stared into the eyes of pure evil. Her body became light and tingly, like a feather. Her mind was gone..._

__"But- where is she!?" Mel asked in surprise.

"Oh, I got them both. Figured I might as well. She might not do what I need if I kill him off," Sorcha said.

"But- _I_ need her to finish what she started since you _had _to keep her alive! She _did _try to kill me, whether you like it or not!"

"Easy, Mel. Still got that same temper I know and love!" Sorcha said sarcastically.

"Where. Are. They!?"

"Follow me." Sorcha snapped her fingers and was gone. Mel groaned. This game again. She did the same and found herself in a huge room with tubes, liquids, musty old books... Yep. This was Sorcha's second home. "Right there." Sorcha said, pointing to a large, rectangular box. Peering through a small window, Mel saw through a weird blue liquid, were a boy and a girl. They were unconscious, and floating side by side in the liquid, not moving at all.

"The- the liquid's _frozen!_" Mel said in shock. "You killed them!"

"No I didn't, Mel." Sorcha said as she looked at her fingernails, obviously bored. "They're just trapped... and can't get out. You can have them, if you want. But I need her after. So you might do best to keep her alive. Or _I _might just do what _I _tried to start."

**Okay, so this chapter might be a little bit confusing, but you'll know everything at the end. Please review!**


	31. Awful News

Mel was still in awe over the case. It wasn't see-through, but it wasn't completely opaque either. The small, circular window at the top was covered with a layer of thick frost. Inside was the blueish liquid, and it was obvious the liquid was almost frozen. The boy and the girl were completely unconscious, their eyes shut tight as if they were dead and been dead for years. Mabel was still dressed in the hospital gown; it was swaying like an imaginary breeze ruffled it. Mel's fingernails tightened along the edges of the case. It was sleek and cold, like a coffin. With a lurch the door opened like a fridge. The second the door opened, cold steam rushed forward to the bodies and engulfed them in a cold wind. Mel shivered in disgust. For a moment, the bodies were just suspended like they were floating. Then, Mabel's blue fingers twitched, and Dipper's cold eyes fluttered.

"Sorcha-" Mel started, then stopped. Sorcha was gone. Her expression hardened. "Get out," she said harshly to the girl and the boy. "Now." She could see Mabel's eyes fight to open.

"Where am I?" she croaked. Dipper groaned.

"My neck hurts," he mumbled. Mel groaned herself.

"Ugh, get out, get out. Come on," she said impatiently as she snatched an arm of each twin and hauled them out... only to have Mabel clumsily crash into a few glass bottles on a table. Purple and green liquid sizzled on the floor and Mel loudly swore at Mabel as she looked down guiltily. Dipper tried to pull up a chair, but ended up dropping it, shattering wood bits onto the floor. Mel stared at both of them for a while, but then suddenly thrust Mabel against the wall violently. "What... was the last thing... Sorcha said to the pair of us!?" she asked angrily but breathlessly. When Mabel didn't answer she shook her shoulders brutally. "I said what did she say!?" Mabel squirmed.

"Don't even think that you're safe," she answered shakily. "What was that for!?" she added.

"Had to see if you had your memory," Mel explained. "The way you both were wobbling I'd think you'd just taken your first steps!" Mabel straightened her wrinkled hospital gown and head bandages and shot Mel a look.

"Well we might have, the way you locked us in there!" she snapped.

"No, I didn't, that was Sorcha," Mel said defensively. "I was the one who got you out. But Sorcha was the one who kept you alive- _Sorcha _was the lady- the lady in white... do you even know _why _she needs you!?"

"No, and I really don't remember a lady," Mabel said.

"Of course," Mel muttered. "That is so Sorcha. Memory blanking."

"Wha- _memory blanking_!?"

"Magic. Sorcha does magic. Now it's good a time as any you know. She taught me too. And I was pretty good! Until she ruined it over that flower. Stealing it from my dad... and when I tried to get it back she planned to torture me! For the rest of my life! You know what? She _just _told me that. She'll so pay the next time I see her," Mel ranted.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you the entire time!" Mabel shouted. Silence.

"You knew," Mel whispered darkly. "And you were in on it too."

"No- Mel I wasn't-"

"Shut up! Shut up shut up shut up! Get out!" Mel screamed. "Get out of here, both of you... I hate you!" Tears streamed down her cheeks and dripped heavily onto the floor. "Please... just _go_! I'm going to kill you for real, Mabel! Just wait!"

"No! You don't understand! Please, Mel! Please! You were my best friend! I was trying to save you!" Mabel sobbed. "Please listen!"

"I don't ever want to see you again until you're ready for me to kill you in that war. Because I will. And I'll kill Sorcha too. You just wait you bitch!" Mel screamed, face wet with tears. Mabel's looked exactly the same as she pleaded and wailed. Dipper, who was just coming to his senses, saw his sister and Mel screaming and sobbing and anguish, and went to see what was going on.

"Hey, um what's going on?" he asked as he stretched.

"Get out of here! Leave me alone! I hate you both! Just go! I'll kill you and eat your bodies-" Mel screamed at him. Mabel bawled in agony and asked for her to listen for the millionth time.

"I can't take it anymore! If you won't leave, I'll make you!" Mel snapped her fingers, and the world went black.

...

_Snap!_

"Where are we?" Dipper asked. He looked around. It was evening. A little country road winded in sharp twists and turns beside them. Past the road was the town of Gravity Falls. "We aren't too far from the Shack," he said to his sniffling sister. "Hey, are you okay?" Mabel shook her head.

"She wouldn't listen. She thinks I'm some murderer," she whispered.

"I'll listen," Dipper said coaxingly. "Can't you tell me what happened?" Mabel shook her head again.

"Not right now."

Dipper hugged his sister as she cried, and as they walked back, Mabel's memories of years ago caused her to wince.

...

As the twins got down to the main road, people eating out for late dinners and just strolling around gaped at them. One lady screamed.

Children ran and hid behind their mothers. A unshaved man with extremely dark circles approached them. His gait was uneven, and he used a cane to walk. Nailed to the cane was a dead human arm. By now it was smelling and rotten, moldy and decomposing.

"Did you bring her with you!?" the man rasped. "Marilyn! Marilyn Sweenston!" He waved the cane around and bent over, grief stricken. "This is all I have left of her! From that explosion... You came back! You had to have brought her with you!" he shouted, and slapped a newspaper in Dipper's hands. Dipper turned the pages hesitantly and stopped at a page with a burning hospital, and names written below. These weren't survivors. A dirty fingernail caked with blood and sweat dabbed the first name, Marilyn Sweenston. Dipper looked up.

"Is... _was-_ she your wife?" he asked.

"Yes."

"I'm so sorry."

"I'm sure your family is sorry as well."

"Excuse me?"

"You should really tell them you've come back. Even if you aren't alive."

Dipper dropped the newspaper.  
The twins could still hear the man shouting as their feet slapped the pavement, running away.


	32. Plans, Plotting, and Nasty Dinners

The sun slowly moved across the cloudless sky. From his vantage point in a high tree, Dipper could see for miles and miles of canyons and forest. If he squinted far enough, he could just make out Mel's haunted looking structure nestled in tall pine trees far, far away.

Dipper turned his head to the sound of cracking tree limbs and dead leaves, and he saw his twin loudly crashing through the shrubbery carrying armloads of berries and tree bark while she showed plain distaste for the forest's bugs and slimy moss.

"Mabel! Is that our dinner?" he called down, almost laughing at his sister's disgust of a certain stink bug. Mabel looked up in surprise at the sound of Dipper's voice, and he waved his arms around to show her he was up in a tree.

"Honestly, Dipper, you need to quit climbing trees that high. You're going to fall!" Mabel shouted up. Dipper shook his head and grinned.

"That's just the mom in you talking," he called back down to his sister as she placed her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes.

"Come down anyway, I found some edible tree bark... and these berries look like blackberries so I'm sure they're not poisonous," she said as she spread the food on a leaf. Dipper slipped down from the canopy of concealing trees; he almost resented leaving, the trees were his own special hideout, safe haven. He could see the whole world but the world couldn't see him.

"How long do we have to stay in hiding?" he asked as he dropped from the last branch.

"I'd say we need to finish off Mel first, and by then I'm sure the people will have forgotten about us," Mabel replied, arranging berries neatly on a slice of bark and giving it to Dipper, receiving a 'thanks' in reply.

"And then we can have a good old leisurely summer?" Dipper asked with a grin. Mabel smiled back.

"You bet!"

Just then, a rough looking girl crashed through the clearing wearing a hospital gown just like Mabel's, except larger to fit the older girl. She looked about sixteen or seventeen, with dark hair and piercing blue eyes. She looked at Mabel in surprise.

"Hospital gown!? You wouldn't have happened to survive the hospital bombing, would you?" she asked.

"Yes, we did," Mabel replied with a look of concern. "Where did you come from?"

The girl extended a dirty hand and Mabel reluctantly shook it.

"Sally Alder. Nineteen," she said, and added from seeing Dipper's look of suspicion, "I'm really small for my age."

After making sure the twins understood her age, she continued her story.

"I was in the hospital for a pregnancy-" she stopped again after Dipper's look of skepticism. Mabel slugged him in the shoulder and hissed,

"Don't be rude!"

"And," Sally cleared her throat, "Somehow the baby didn't make it,"

Mabel gasped and reached out to her to touch her hand.

"I'm so sorry!" she whispered, her voice barely audible. Sally nodded and waved her hand away like it meant nothing.

"The bombs went off right after I got the news. I was one of the last ones out, well... I think I was the _last one _out. A beam blocked the door and everyone was trapped inside. Later I found a sawed off vent opening and crawled through that. A newspaper proved me to be dead. I've been hiding out in here to get my bearings, and then I suppose I'll take the next flight to Atlanta, Georgia, where I'm absolutely certain the news won't be known- I mean, after all, it's the whole opposite side of the country!" she explained. "But Gravity Falls has always been my home; I was raised here. I'll be sad to leave."

"I think the people will have forgotten about the whole hospital bombing by then," Dipper commented as he took a large bite of bark and berries, but quickly spewed it out and wiped his mouth. "Mabel, this is disgusting. I think I've lost my appetite." Mabel defensively shrugged her shoulders and took a bite herself. Dipper smiled at her terrible attempt to cover up her queasiness. Sally laughed and rummaged around in a bag she was carrying and handed Mabel an apple.

"You remind me of my sister. Thirteen today," she said.

Mabel blushed.

"Only I'm twelve," she said.

"And you're... thirteen as well as Emma? My sister?" Sally asked, tossing Dipper an apple.

"Nah," he confessed, blushing as well. "Mabel and I are twins."

"Oopsie!" Sally laughed and ruffled his hair. "I should know what twins are when I see them. Twins like you have a special bond." Dipper and Mabel looked at each other uncertainly. Maybe identical twins shared a special bond... but they had always just assumed that their bond was just that of regular siblings.

"Maybe..." Mabel trailed.

* * *

Something howled deep in the forest. Its melancholy drone brought angst and uneasiness to Mel Jhonston in the safety of her home. Sorcha wasn't there, of course, but she could appear at any moment and engulf Mel into one of her long sermons and lectures about how she didn't deserve to live and how she'd failed about _everything _concerning Mabel.

But that wasn't the reason at all why she was antsy. It was about fighting Mabel in the first place. Sorcha wouldn't help her at all; she'd said the whole thing was stupid and childish. But revenge overpowered her, and she'd ignored the jeers of Sorcha and her comments. _  
_

What if Mabel had a really good army? She could call Mel's name at any second, and she wouldn't be ready at all.

"More grapes, ma'am?" a voice asked, breaking Mel from her thoughts. She turned and stared into the wide and nervous eyes of her servant, Adelphie. Mel was very proud of snagging this priceless Greek right at the height of Greece's power. She was a very special and rule abiding woman, and Mel was grateful for having such a lovely time machine left to her from her great-grandfather to get her from.

It was, in the first place, to be left to Ryan, but, being such a clean spirit of anything dark, had refused. Her ancestor must've hated him for that. When she'd grow old and die, Mel knew her great-grandfather would reward her for making such use of such an old item. Thoughtfully, Mel plucked a grape from its stem and chewed it slowly. She had to admit, fighting Mabel with armies to get revenge on something so stupid as when they were seven was really... really... dumb. Sounded like an idea Adelphie would come up with, considering her being from so long ago in a country that fought to the death for the pleasure of crowds, not even mentioning fighting in priceless armies-

"That's it!" Mel shouted. Startled, Adelphie dropped the plate of grapes. "Oh my god. Pick those up, you klutz. I just got an _am_azing idea," Mel said lightheartedly. "Mel just got an army!"

**Please review! Was this chapter good? I'll also give you a hint about Mel's army. It's not ancient Greek. :3**


	33. A Sad Story

Mabel leaned against against a tree. Dipper was playing with a leaf, and Sally was trying unsuccessfully to build a fire. The dim moonlight shone through a crook in the canopy of trees, and the branches swayed softly in the gentle breeze. A stream trickled nearby, and Mabel could hear tiny fish jumping in the ripples of the current.

It was a beautiful night- and Mabel was bored to tears.

"Sally!" she shouted suddenly, jumping up into a sitting position. Sally dropped the fire stick she was using at the sudden exclamation.

"Give me a heat attack, will ya?" she asked. Mabel made a face.

"You sound like my Grunkle Stan."

"Huh!? Whatever. What were you asking me?" Sally asked.

"Well, I was wondering... if you'd tell us a story," Mabel said, scooting closer to the older girl. Sally scowled.

"I'm not good at those," was all she said.

"Well I'm sure you told _plenty _to Emma," Mabel coaxed. A clouded looked formed over Sally's bright blue eyes. And in the moonlight, they seemed to flash brilliant arrays of sea green and celestial blue, fringed with pure gold near the dilated pupils.

"She... was my flower. My life. Emma loved stories," she said.

"Was?" Mabel asked curiously. Sally sighed.

"Okay, Mabel. I'll tell you a story," she finally said. The younger girl squealed and rested her head on Sally's lap. At first, the older girl was caught if guard by this sudden affectionate gesture. But eventually, the sweetness of the girl's innocence helped her warm up to it.

"Now, there once was a beautiful little girl. She was twelve years old, and had golden hair that shone like the sun. Her sister would brush it every morning until it sparkled. And her eyes... a mystic stormy gray that laughed in the springtime and mourned in the winter.

"Now it so happened that every spring and summer morning she would run out and collect flowers. She was, in fact, a gentle flower that longed for sun and light, and happiness. The little girl had gone one special morning to collect a special flower for her sister, whose birthday was that day. The shining sun and whistling birds promised a day unlike any others.

"The girl's sister decided to follow her that morning to keep the young girl company. As they skirted along bramble bushes and forgotten paths, they immediately were drawn to a large yellow flower just ahead. The little girl squealed, and just as she was about to present the flower to her sister, the girls caught sight of an even prettier flower farther ahead. Excitedly, they rushed towards the bright purple flower with hues of the brightest blue. Just as the girl was about to pluck it, she noticed an even _prettier _blossom growing beside a pine tree.

"It went on like that for the next hour or so. But there was something peculiar about the flower trail. It seemed innocent enough at first, but soon it began leading the girls in the direction of a forgotten path. Sidestepping strange creatures and thorn bushes, the little girl and her sister finally made way to the final flower. Nestled in a hole in a scraggly old hollow tree, this flower was definitely more beautiful than the rest. A beautiful rose, speckled in bright summer green and pale pink buds.

"That was the little girl's opinion towards it. The little one who always had a positive attitude towards everything. Her sister thought the stem of the flower was hideous, and she proposed the green buds looked like poison. Nevertheless, the young girl picked it for her sister's birthday present. Although her sister couldn't argue the flower itself wasn't a monstrosity, she still had an enormously bad feeling towards the bloom.

"As the sisters walked back home, tired but successful in the day's work, the little girl began to feel woozy. And, out of nowhere, she gave a cry of pain and dropped to the ground. Distraught, her sister called for help. In tears, she examined her sister to see if any type of bug had bitten her to cause her to faint. Opening up her palm, the sister discovered fifteen ebony black thorns poking from a gash on the hand. The cracked stem of the flower dropped onto the ground from her pale hand.

"The next day, the little girl was proven to be dead. She was put into the cold, hard ground; a little girl who knew only light, only the sun. Doomed to the barren earth, never to see the sun again. And- and her sister had to live on, live on without her little flower. She became a drunkard, and sold her body to hungry men. Drugs became a way of life. So- not only is there one unhappy ending in this story, but two," Sally finished, and buried her face in her hands to sob.

Dipper did the same, once again relieved of the memories of almost losing his twin sister twice. The three of them cried, the past resurfacing. Sally held the twins close, her only little children in the world.

**Review please! Just so you know, this story was previously called The 3. **


	34. Memories

Mabel awoke with a crick in her neck. Rubbing it vigorously, she sat up and looked around. The morning sun slanted off the trees and the birds sung sweet melodies in the branches. She wiped a tear away and stared at her now wet hand. She had been crying.

Last night's dream was something to cry about, though. Mabel remembered it clearly. How could she not? It was a memory.

_"Catch me if you can!" A young, light haired girl skipped past two others quickly. _

_"I can! I can!" one of the other little girls squealed. Her dark hair fell across her back in ripples, swooshing as she ran. The third little girl was the smallest and most innocent. She wasn't entirely sure where to go._

_"Come, Mabel!" the blonde child cried. "I'll bet you can't catch me!" Mabel cocked her head to the side shyly and turned away. The dark haired girl's dark mocha eyes filled with sympathy. _

_"She's shy," she said._

_"The first day of school's always scary," the blonde girl said kindly. "But you have friends- _best _friends with you. We'll always be best friends. Truce?" The girl stuck out her pinkie. "I, Melodie Viola Jhonston, _swear _to be best friends forever with Mabel Pines and Sorcha-Leigh Miller." Leigh giggled and held her pinkie out as well. And finally, little shy Mabel did the same. _

The dream changed, and a dark, cold room replaced the bright schoolyard.

_"Have you heard of the Gravity Falls fatalis flower?" Tom asked the now seven-year-old little girls._

_"My great uncle lives in Gravity Falls," piped up Mabel. Tom chuckled and swiped a beautiful blossom from his coat pocket. Mel was extremely intrigued by its beauty. _

_"Can I touch it?" she asked. _

_"Aah, uh... sorry sweetie. The thorns are pretty dangerous. Lethal." Leigh's eyes glinted. _

_"That's... a peculiar flower to keep, then, Mr. Jhonston." she said._

_"Funny you should say that. A co-worker of mine at the herbology center explained it almost had powers," Tom replied._

_"Powers?" Leigh asked._

_"Some say if you find a way to destroy it, it gives you abilities. Abilities to kill in gruesome ways with a flick of the head. To murder with the blink of an eye. To steal and commit crime, with the beckon of a finger. To possess, with the flash of an eye. Only the pure of heart are said to have the ability to destroy this flower, though." Tom explained._

_"And, how would someone- someone _not _pure of heart be able to get this power?" Leigh asked._

_"Why, they would have to destroy another flower," Tom answered. "And of course, they would then have enough power to give it all away. They would just have to be willing to. And, for an example of how amazing this power is, even a dirty spirit could destroy one petal, and they would have power unimaginable. Not deathly power, but great power. But- none of you could truly believe such a tall take?" Tom said. _

_"Not at all," Leigh murmured. _

The dream changed once more. Now the cold, dark room became a cell. Chained to the wall of the cell was Mabel.

_"Did you tell her!?" The cry rang out._

_"I didn't, I swear!" Mabel cried. _

_"Then how did she find out about me stealing the flower!?" _

_"I don't know! I don't know!" _

_"She hates me now. Like I care. But I need this flower. Need it. And I can't have someone as stupid as Mel talking. I'm going to kidnap her. Make her my slave. Torture her. She almost cost me my only purpose in the world! " _

_"Leigh, listen. Please," Mabel pleaded._

_"I'll murder you, too, Mabel." _

The cell was now a brisk, dark night. Two young girls could be seen walking home.

"_Mel?" Mabel asked._

_"Yeah?" _

_"Uh... I just wanted to tell you you're my best friend. And, what I'm about to do is for you. For love. To save you from torture. Slavery," Mabel said sadly._

_"Huh!?" Mel asked in surprise. Mabel brought forth an old kitchen knife and drew it. Mel screamed. "You're mental! Crazy! We were best friends! I hate you! Go away!" Her shoes slapped the pavement as she ran away. _

_The next morning, Mel, her brother, and baby sister were lined up in front of the moving van and car with suitcases and extra bags. _

_"I'll never forgive you, Mabel," Mel whispered to her former friend. And with that, she left. Hopped in the car and left for Oregon. Leigh was there as well. Holding the fatalis flower. Tom caught sight of it as he started the car. Jumping out, he exclaimed, _

_"Leigh, you stole my flower! All my work! Now give it back, please." The young girl and older man wrestled with the flower. Shouts could be heard from the streets. A door opened and a young boy scampered down the steps from his house. _

_"Are you leaving today for Oregon?" he asked Mel._

_"Yeah Dipper. I really am," Mel replied. Tom finally tugged the flower free and took Mel by the sleeve to the car. Then they drove away. Leigh laughed. _

_"Someday," she said. "Someday." She opened her palm. Inside was a crushed flower petal. _

Mabel screamed. The dream was so real, so vivid. But it _was_ real. It _had_ happened. This also triggered another memory. When she and her brother were running from door to door at Mel's home as the thunderstorm was going on. One door had the flower. She had smushed and smashed it. She had destroyed it. But nothing had happened. She for sure had wanted to do something bad, like steal. Mabel beckoned her finger and willed herself to wish to steal another apple from Sally's bag. Nothing.

But something was going on. She had some connection to the flower. After all, why else was Sorcha hunting her?

**Okay, so pretty much everything was explained in this chapter. Whew, finally! It might still be a little confusing, though, so PM me if you have a question. Please **

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**Please, it makes my day! :D**


	35. Imposter

**In the previous chapter, when Sorcha asked how someone with an unclean spirit to destroy the fatalis flower, it was meant to say that someone with a clean spirit could destroy it for them. Hope it clears things up! **

Dipper sat upright abruptly and fixed his gaze on his sister. Something had awoken him, and he was certain it was her. Sunken cheeks, thin arms, jagged scars, dark circles... Dipper was sure he looked like a male version of her. Mabel was propped up on her elbow and staring at the rising sun.

"Did you scream?" he heard himself ask suddenly.

"Yeah," she replied vaguely. Dipper stretched his arms out to her, and she crawled in like a little girl. They clung to each other, their only source of comfort from the evil world.

"They were memories, Dipper. They started out sweet and nice and then they jut got all crazy. It just made me wish I hadn't messed with Sorcha's plans, after all," Mabel confessed.

"Sorcha!? As in Sorcha-Leigh!? Don't tell me she's in this too!" Dipper groaned. Mabel smacked her forehead.

"Of course you don't know about Sorcha! I was too caught up in trying to do things for myself I didn't even think once about telling you. I'm so stupid!" Mabel said, distraught. She decided to confide in her brother about everything- Sorcha making her first appearance in the dream, then the mirror, then the slope... her countless appearances had something to do with the fatalis flower and the power within the destruction of it...

Mabel explained everything in great detail, and when she was finished Dipper stared at her in shock.

"Everything just got a bit more complicated then, didn't it?" he asked. Mabel said nothing, and then she started to laugh. Dipper joined in, and soon they were shouting remarks of glee, on how all of this had to happen to _them._"Eight planets, seven continents..." Dipper grinned.

"196 countries..." Mabel giggled.

"And probably a billion people," Dipper added.

"And for some reason it was us that were chosen to go through all this!" Mabel finished.

"And I know why," Dipper said.

"What!?"

"_We _have an old copier that can copy humans! We have an army!" Dipper yelled. Mabel stood up and jumped up and down.

"We're gonna win! You're a genius!" she shouted.

"I'm _Einstein _coming back from the dead!"

"You discovered the laws of time!"

"I know how to send up radioactive waves and reflective gadgets to make lunar eclipses hot pink!"

"_You _are going to win, Dipper," Mabel said softly. Dipper stopped dancing.

"What do you mean,_ I'm _going to win!? So are you!" he said. Mabel shook her head lightly and laughed.

"You don't think revenge won't overpower Mel, do you? She's going to try to murder me. Now I don't know if I can beat her, but- just don't get your hopes up, okay?" she choked out. Dipper shook his head.

"I will," he said, and gave his twin a hug. "Don't cry. Just don't cry."

* * *

"Where do you think you're going?" Sally teased the hurriedly packing and working twins.

"Home," Mabel replied breathlessly. "All set?"

"Yep," Dipper answered. "Let's go." Sally hopped up quickly.

"Hey, hey, hey! I thought we were working together now... as a team!" she said quickly.

"Did we say that?" Mabel questioned, scratching her head bandages.

"I thought my story was enough," Sally said sadly. Dipper looked at his sister and gave a 'Should we?' glance. Mabel gave a little sigh and nodded.

"You're part of the team, now," she said wearily.

"Yes!" Sally pumped her fists. "Where are we going now?"

"Like I said," Mabel answered. "Home."

* * *

"Shh!" Dipper hissed as Mabel loudly tripped over a loosened floorboard of the Mystery Shack.

"_Sorry!" _she mouthed.

"Why are we sneaking around again?" Sally whispered. "You said we were going to your house."

"Yeah, but everyone thinks we're dead. Don't want to give anyone a heart attack too soon," Dipper answered. Sally nodded. The party quietly entered Stan's office and lifted the old machine's cover.

"Ready?" Mabel asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Dipper answered as he hopped on. As he laid there, Mabel tapped a button multiple times and sat back to watch. When it was over, the side panel spit out one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, and up. Higher the stack became until it reached one hundred sheets of paper. "Done?" he asked.

"Yeah," Mabel answered, and gave him a hand to jump off. Now she took her place uncomfortably as Dipper replenished the stack of paper.

"We can take the paper out when you're done," Dipper explained.

"Am I doing this right?" Mabel asked.

"Oh, right. You've never done this before," Dipper laughed and looked over. "Yeah, you're fine." Mabel sat back contentedly and watched Dipper punch the button quickly until it looked like his finger was blue.

"A hundred times?" she asked. Dipper nodded and stepped back.

The machine coughed out sheet after sheet, paper after paper.

"What the hell are you guys doing!?" Sally asked. "That's a really bad waste of paper!" Dipper made a face.

"It copies humans," he said dryly. "You won't understand a lot of things we do. So maybe you should just go on and live your dreams in Atlanta." Sally started to cry and Mabel made an attempt to slap him laying down. But there was something off about her sobs. The jerking bouncing of shoulders, the squeezing of eyes forcefully so that tears could pour out... she was faking.

"You're the only kids I have left," she cried. "And I don't even think you like me!"

"Sally, will you please tell me exactly where you were before you met up with us in the clearing?" Dipper asked. She abruptly stopped crying.

"In... another clearing," she said.

"And where did you get your bag... you know, the one with the apples?" Dipper asked. "Because... if you were in the hospital... and food was supplied in the cafeteria... what need would there be for a bag of apples?"

"Where did I get the apples? Uh... well I had a bag on me, and as I was running through the forest, I saw an apple tree and picked the apples from there and kept them in the bag. Duh," Sally laughed. Dipper laughed as well.

"Sally. Apple trees don't grow in the forest."

"Well of course they do!" Sally exclaimed.

"Open the bag," Dipper demanded quietly.

"It's nothing!" Sally said.

Mabel stared at her brother.

"Dipper, what are you talking about?" she asked worriedly.

"Open it," Dipper said again. "The second I met you and saw that bag it was reeking. Now open it." Mabel sniffed. Was he right? Her brother was known to be paranoid like this. But- this time... She sniffed the air one more time to be sure. She had remembered something, but put it in the back of her mind to be polite. But it was true. A definite stench was emitting from Sally's bag. When the girl did nothing, Dipper walked over and snatched the garment from her hands, and opened it.

Out dropped a severed leg. Then an arm.

Moldy, bloody, old body parts, until the most disgusting and horrific.

A head.

Stringy, greasy, rotting hair fell in clumps across the monster, occasionally dropping off. It was a girl, with horribly creased and bloody eyelids covered with the remains of bright blue eyeshadow.

Mabel screamed.

Sally growled.

"I told you there was nothing!" she hissed.

"Mabel..." Dipper said steadily. "Meet Sally Alder."

"The _real _one," Mabel whispered, now standing up.

"Who are you, and what do you want with us?" Dipper asked.

"I want you to finish what you were starting. That's what Mel wants you to do anyway, for the time being," came the reply.

"Mel! You've been with Mel! The whole time. I can't believe it. Is there _anyone _we can trust anymore!?" Dipper sighed. The older girl shrugged her shoulders.

"You ruined it with Wendy and all. You weren't supposed to find out. Meddling messes almost everything up," she said.

"So... Wendy- no- _you _are like a sort of like a babysitter? Track us and find us and make sure we're still going to Mel's house?" Dipper asked in disbelief.

"Sorta."

"What's your name?" Mabel asked.

"I wouldn't go down that road again," the older girl answered.

"How did you-" Mabel started.

"How did I know that you were the one who discovered it was Wendy by being the most obnoxious little puss in the world and pulling off her cloak? And brave, never-going-to-let-you-take-the-blame brother covered for you? It was all from Mel. She's very powerful, you know." She took a step closer to Mabel. "And don't you start annoying me," she warned.

"Just _give _us the name!" Dipper insisted.

"Like it matters to you. Neither of you even know me. My name isn't even anything you can hold against me!"

"Try us," Dipper replied with gritted teeth.

"Emma Alder," she answered, and kicked the dissected head. "That's my sister." Mabel gaped at her in shock.

"Your story... it was fake!?" she asked. Emma laughed.

"Of course it was fake."

"Then how did you know about the fatalis!?" Dipper cut in.

"Well... most of it was fake. You see, I've known about this flower more than you know. I wasn't lying when I'd said I'd lived here my whole life."

"But how did you know about it!?"

"Mel, of course. We'd been friends for a bit."

"Really!? You're nineteen!" Mabel exclaimed.

"No, fourteen. I'm really tall for my age. Sally's my older sister. Mel explained about the fatalis flower and told me it would be the easiest way to kill my sister and impersonate her to gain your trust as a poor hospital escapee. Sally did escape. Because of me. I also needed to know about the flower to tell you that horrible and sad story about poor Sally Alder and her beloved little sister. Sally hated me. She was always better at me at everything, so I know why," Emma explained.

"Emma. Why are you doing this?" Mabel asked quietly. "You just killed your sister. And- euggh- cut her up to fit in your bag!"

"Why else? I love any type of revenge, whether it's mine or not! I'm going to love helping you both die. Hurry up, now and finish your little copy job. Mel is expecting you."


	36. War and No Peace

**PLEASE READ: Dipper and Mabel end up copying two thousand clones each. Wow. Major waste of paper. Well, it is an army right? Lol. So try to remember: it's fiction! **

"Okay, guys, I want everyone to find a twin. Pair up and line up behind Mabel Classic and I when you're done. Understand?" Dipper asked. Two thousand Dippers and two thousand Mabels nodded in the now hot sunlight of the forest.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Mabel whispered.

"You hadn't doubted it before," Dipper replied back.

"Do they all have a gun?" Mabel asked.

"Pretty sure," her brother answered. "The machine copied everything that we had."

"I had one."

"Me too."

Miraculously, each clone paired quickly and lined up behind the twins. Chatter rose up amongst them, and some even started to whoop.

"We're going to kick Mel's butt!"

"And smash it to pieces!"

"Can I shoot my gun now, as a sort of test run?"

"Nartz, safety lock."

"The sun's hot."

"I have to pee."

"Sorcha is going to follow us there, isn't she?"

"Mabel Classic, can I lead the line?"

"I wonder if one of us is going to turn on each other..."

"I want to go back!"

"Am I going to die?"

"What kind of war is this?"

"Okay, okay, okay! Guys! We're ready to go. Emma? Anything else you have for us?" Dipper Classic asked. Emma stepped out from behind a tree. Gasps and rude comments were tossed about until Emma grabbed #89's gun and fired. The clear gunshot rang through the air and caused a moment of sheer silence.

"No," she said clearly with a hint of defiance. "There is nothing else. All you need to do is call Mel's name. And your war has begun."

For a minute, silence bounced off the trees. Hearts pounding, toes tapping, quiet whimpers...

Soon, Mabel could bear it no longer.

"Mel. We're ready for you."

A snap could be heard in the distance, and soon nothing was left in the clearing but the whistling wind drifting through the trees.

Mabel opened her eyes.

It was the arena. Mel's arena, the one that very much resembled a football arena, but with no seats or cheering crowds.

Then she heard a voice. It echoed through her head, and by the way everyone else was rubbing their temples she knew they heard it, too.

"It's me, Mel. I. See. You've come. Come to. Fight. Please, as a. Token. Of my. Hospitality, please feel free. To. Take. Any weapons. As. Needed. From the table," the voice said.

Almost simultaneously, the army turned their heads to a giant round table stocked with knives, spears, swords, heavy bats, poison balls on sticks, chainsaws, and countless others. Mabel #1987 squeaked and vomited.

"Enjoy, brave. Fighters. Now, let my. Personal. Army commence. Please take care. Of my dear friends."

Each Mabel clutched each Dipper's arm, and vice versa. The arena was overcome by silence. You could hear a pin drop.

Then, all of a sudden, an unseen door squeaked open. The army drew a sharp breath.

The next moment, an enormously loud army call sounded through the arena. Heavy footsteps pounded the ground. Then, they came into view. Bronze helmets shining in the light. Dense armor clinking in rhythm with the footsteps. This was no modern army.

"Assyrians," Dipper #701 whispered.

"Assyrians!?" his partner asked.

"The Assyrian Empire is considered to be the most powerful to exist. The empire was at its height from 1000 BC to 612 BC. Mel must've used time travel on us again. But I think she only took A few; the general Assyrian army had about 50,000 men. Some of the Assyrian's battle tactics were to kill everyone in sight, and take some away to be slaves," Dipper #701 explained and gulped. "We're going to die."

As the time captives lurched even more forward, the army gathered weapons quickly. Finally, the first Assyrian to reach the army pulled his bowstring taut, and let an arrow fly. Dipper #17 ducked, and it flew right past his head. There was no time to cheer, though, because the Assyrians were gaining on them. Bravely, Mabel #1267 fired her gun at the first one to near her. He fell to his knees, and died.

"Yeah! Whoo! You did it!" Mabel #1267's partner shouted and held his hand up for a high five.

"Dipper! Look out!" she shrieked, and dove forward to push him down. But arrows can't keep soaring forever. Mabel #1267 coughed, and slumped to the ground.

"Mabel! Mabel wake up! Please! Mabel!" her partner, Dipper #1862 cried. He knelt down to her side, and just as he was about to give up, a hand rested on his shoulder.

"Come on man, we have to keep going," Dipper #999 said gravely. With a loud battle cry, the Assyrians raised their weapons, as well as the army. Finally, bronze mixed with white and orange. War had begun. The sounds of gunfire, screams of agony, and the Assyrian army's weapons deafened the arena. Some were wrestling with hand to hand combat as well as attacking from a weapon. Dipper #684 charged forward with an ax, knuckles white, and with a shaky hand swung horribly, but hit his target. A bloody Assyrian dropped dead with an ax lodged firmly in his skull.

Dipper and Mabel Classic fought at the front of the battlefield, leading their clone army. Armed with swords and shields, poison balls and, of course, their guns, they fought with every ounce of strength they had. Dipper slit an enemy's throat, and stabbed him twice for good measure. Blood oozed out of the soldier's neck in a deep shade of crimson. Dipper scraped it off and smeared it across his face. Mabel drew back a poison ball and heaved it at an approaching warrior. It hit his head with a clang, and almost immediately blue froth seeped from his mouth. He fell to the ground and into a puddle of vomit.

Mabel #321 gagged herself from a poison ball. She dropped on the bloodstained ground. Her dead body was a shade of sickly blue, and she twitched in a reactive way. Her eyes bulged with repulsive red irises and huge mucus filled sores developed on her shoulders and face. Still, Dipper and Mabel Classic led the army on. Mabel pointed her gun steadily at another soldier, when from behind an enemy clobbered her with a club. She fell, wind knocked out of her, until she could bear it no longer. Wheezing heavily, she laid down on the blood sodden and pungent smelling ground.

"Mabel!" she heard her brother cry.

"Dip-p-er-" she coughed. Soon he was at her side.

"Mabel... no. You're okay. Ehhhgh!" he said, then let out a moan. Mabel clasped the ground as it started to spin. Her throat was on fire, and a warm, sticky, substance erupted from her lips. Blood. She retched a puddle of blood right in the middle of the battleground. Why weren't any Assyrians attacking them? All of a sudden, Dipper was seized by the beck from behind, and his weapons dropped to the ground with a clatter. He gazed up into the eyes of the attacker.

It was a burly man with armor of pure gold. He had a broad face, widely set eyes, and was big boned. His curly black beard wound crazily around his face.

"A jeni një e vërtetë? Ka shumë që janë të njëjta. Por ju duken ndryshe," he said suspiciously.

"Can't-understand-" Dipper rasped. Finally, just as he was about to black out, his fingers took hold of the smooth surface of a gun. Knuckles white, he clutched the weapon tightly. It was large, and surrounded with gold rubies and emerald filigree glass. The color was a shining silver, and the trigger laced with diamond. Beautiful. The soldier's eyes widened as Dipper lifted up the gun shakily.

"Haha! Never seen one of these before?" he teased. But the victory was short-lived. His opponent roared angrily, and swiped the gun from his hands. Nothing could stop the Assyrians. Merely the show of a gun could not stop the Assyrians. Dipper rasped for air in the brief time of release, but the warrior continued to keep a firm choking grip on his neck. Air was running out. There was nothing to do. Dipper had always imagined himself leaving Mel's home victorious. Joyful all the war and hate was over. But it wouldn't be so. No. It would. Dipper instinctively kicked the Assyrian in the groin, and reached for the gem-studded gun. Firmly pressing his index finger on the trigger, the bullet flew straight into the target's chest. He fell over, dead. Dipper turned around to help Mabel. But all that was left was the thrown up blood puddle. "Mabel!" he shouted. But nothing was heard over the roar of gunfire, the enemy, and death.


	37. On My Life

Mel sat quietly in a small, dim room. Sorcha had asked to speak with her. But she was very impatient. Mel was ready to murder Mabel. She'd kill her good. Not even with a poison ball. She'd probably wring her little neck, literally, with her bare hands. Then stab her for good measure. The events unfolded in Mel's mind, getting more horrific and gruesome every time.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a small rap on the door. Mel's timid servant entered nervously and stood in front of the door. Mel observed her nose was bleeding dreadfully, and fresh scratches and bruises covered her arms and legs.

"Sorcha is here to see you, ma'am," she whispered. Mel nodded.

"Did she, um, do that to you?" she asked.

"Yes!" Adelphie said, and started to cry. "Please tell her she did something horrible!"

"I'll do no such thing," Mel replied, munching on a grape. "You deserved it."

"_Why!?" _Adelphie shrieked.

"Because you were born," Mel answered, obviously bored with the subject. "Now show the visitor in." Adelphie let out a moan, and opened the door wider. Sorcha stalked in and sat down in the chair opposite of Mel. After a minute of silence, Sorcha snapped harshly to the servant,

"Leave."

Adelphie burst into tears and streaked from the room. Sorcha chuckled and leaned back in her chair. "Fine servant you've got there," she said sarcastically. Mel made a face.

"What did you need me for? I have a pesky girl to slaughter and I don't need another of your lectures, so if that's the only reason you're here, please let Adelphie escort you out." Sorcha held her hands up in mock-defense.

"Hey, hold up, Violin."

"_Viola_," Mel corrected grumpily. "And it's my middle name. What if I went around calling you- what's your middle name again?"

"I _go _by my middle name now, idiot. And I haven't come to give you another lecture. Right now," Sorcha said. Mel rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. Cut to the chase."

"Fine. What I wanted to tell you, since you're probably going to die-"

"What!? No, I'm not. Proceed," Mel cut in. Sorcha gave an exaggerated sigh.

"What I wanted to tell you was some vital information. How stupid you were for this war. Mel... you were wrong. Five years ago-"

* * *

Dipper frantically searched for his sister on the bloodstained ground. But she was gone. Vanished, without a trace. His face hardened. Mel had done this. She was going to kill her. But he wouldn't let that happen. Never. Back in their attic bedroom of the Mystery Shack, the loud bumping on the wall had frightened Mabel. She had asked for Dipper to protect her.

"On my life," Dipper re-promised darkly. With a sudden newfound strength, he weaved through the throng of soldiers, slicing, decapitating, blocking. All of a sudden, an especially pointy-tipped blade scratched his shield deeply. He looked up, and there, on a shining black stallion, sat a beautiful young woman with sparkling golden hair falling elegantly from a silver crown with adorning diamonds on her head. She wore tight armor of the darkest black that seemed to gleam in the light.

"Unë dua të di emrin tuaj para se t'ju vrasin, armikun trim," she said sweetly, her voice like silk.

"Can't understand," Dipper mumbled, gazing into her stormy gray eyes.

"Emër," she whispered like he was stupid. "Më jepni emrin tuaj. Minave është Kytie. Unë jam mbretëreshë."

Mel's voice appeared in his head.

"She wants. To. Know. Your name before. She kills you. Her name is Kytie. She is queen of Assyria at. The moment."

Dipper nodded like Mel could see.

"Dipper," he said loudly, above the noise. Kytie laughed lightly, and brought up her sword. Dipper dodged the blow, and raced from her and her stallion. He didn't want to kill such a beautiful queen. Unfortunately, she followed him, sword raised high, ready to strike. Then, she leaped from her horse. Dipper staggered backwards, not expecting this strange fighting technique.

"Është e mahnitshme që ju keni bërë deri tani. Por tani ju do të takohet fund tuaj," she said, a cruel gleam playing in her eyes.

"She. Says. It is amazing. You have made it this far. But. Now. You will. Meet your end," Mel's laughing voice appeared in his head. Dipper shouted in pain. Mel's voice was beginning to hurt him, and he didn't know why. The queen dropped her sword and advanced on Dipper, her fingers clenched, ready to choke. Then something odd happened. Blue froth escaped from her mouth and dripped onto the floor. Kytie bent downward in pain. Dipper stared at her in shock. With all the noise, he hadn't heard the clang of a poison ball collide with her neck. She started to twitch, and dropped onto the ground, her skin a sick green and her eyes clouding over drastically. The queen moaned in horror, but her release wasn't coming for a while. Black pus filled lumps developed quickly and spread rapidly throughout her entire body. Dipper leaned down in morbid fascination when a hand touched his shoulder gently.

"There's nothing we can do," a voice said. Dipper whirled around.

"Mabel!" he shouted, and threw his arms around his sister joyfully. "Where did you go!?"

"I don't know," Mabel admitted. "I felt a strange tug on my whole body... and it was almost like I was a puppet and the puppet master was pulling me forward. I was in a sort of trance, I guess. I walked around a room stuffed with old photographs of Mel, Sorcha, and I... it was weird." The twins looked around. Even the Assyrians looked a bit tired. Bodies littered the ground, some stinking and decomposing already. The air was excruciatingly hot and just felt rotten.

"I'm really glad you are here with me," Dipper said gratefully. "I thought I'd have to finish up this war on my own!" Mabel smiled warmly and shook her head.

"That'd never happen. Ever. We're meant to fight evil together," she said. All of a sudden, a loud, ear splitting shriek sounded in the twins' ears. Startled, they turned around. It was Mel. She charged forward, gun poised in the air menacingly. Dipper braced his sword. Mabel readied defense. But Mel shook her head. She stopped, parallel to Mabel.

"Sorcha told me everything. She was wrong. I was wrong," Mel murmured with her gun still pointed at Mabel. Dipper realized in shock it was the beautiful gem-studded one he had found on the ground when he was fighting the soldier. "Mabel. You loved me. You were trying to protect me." Silent tears dripped down her cheeks. "I was so wrong." She began to sob, still pointing the gun to Mabel. "I'm sorry."

"Mel. You had every right to be afraid-" Mabel cut in.

"No. I was- no. I _am _evil," Mel cried. She was shaking horribly. "There's something wrong with me. I love you as the most best friend in the world. I'm sorry."

Mabel nodded and began to cry as well.

"It's okay, Mel. I know what you want," she whispered.

"We really need to be even," Mel finished, and another round of sobs racked her body. Mabel nodded kindly.

"You are my best friend, Melodie Jhonston. And you always will be. I'll love you for you, I always have. I'll love you no matter what you do. Please. Make us even. I won't be able to live with this," she said sadly. Mel smiled through her tears. It was one no one had seen for a long time. A sweet, kind smile. A smile of peace. A smile of love. She stuck out her pinkie shakily. Mabel did the same. They didn't touch because they were some feet away, but it was like an invisible bond held them close.

"I, Melodie Viola Jhonston _swear _to be best friends forever with Mabel Pines and Sorcha-Leigh Miller. I swore, Mabel. And I still swear," Mel cried in agony.

"We'll be even. Forever. Thank you, Mel. Thank you, best friend," Mabel whispered, and Melodie Jhonston pulled the trigger.

A low caterwaul rose up from the back of Dipper's throat. "On my life," he shouted, and flung his body in front of his sister.


	38. Mel's Downfall

Mabel gave a low moan as Dipper's body thudded to the floor. Mel rushed to her side.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen," she whispered. Mabel nodded and buried her face in her hands. She fell to the ground in agony and cradled her brother's pale face in her lap. In the back of her head, she traveled to a peaceful place; which she remembered very clearly. A meadow where she and her brother played. The river nearby, with its tiny fish gulping beneath its surface. The tents they made of blankets, where they spent hours giggling, telling stories, and pretending to be bears. The reality felt like a horrible nightmare. One that she couldn't wake up from. Her beloved twin brother was dead.

Mel shrieked as a black cat raced towards the grieving girls. It changed shape quickly into Sorcha's angry face.

"You tried to kill her!" she roared. "I told you I needed her! You ignorant, miserable, disrespecting _bitch!" _With a flourish, she snatched Mel's jeweled gun and pulled the trigger at Mel. Mabel screamed as Mel gave a sob.

"Bye, Mabel," she said quietly.

"Sorcha!" Mabel shouted. An Assyrian bounded toward the girls, and Sorcha held up a finger.

"Hold on," she said, and snapped her fingers. The soldier vanished, along with the entire battle scene. All that remained were the bloody remains of dead humans.

"Come with me, Mabel. I need your help," Sorcha said quietly. Mabel clenched her teeth.

"Never."

"Mabel. Please. Wouldn't you do this for your best friend?" Sorcha asked.

"You're not my best friend. I don't even know what you are. Look at your eyes. Those weren't the ones I knew. You've changed. I'll never go with you," Mabel answered darkly. Sorcha's features became fuzzy and demented until she became the monster at the top of the slope. Mabel took the hands of both bodies and held them close. Sorcha advanced on her until they were nose to nose.

"I survived," Mabel whispered. "I'm going to avenge my twin brother and best friend. I'm going to defeat you. Even if it's the last thing I do." And with that, Mabel snapped her fingers, and vanished from sight.


	39. Not the End

_July_ 26_th_

Sorcha sat, fuming, in her second home. Mabel Pines had escaped from her a third- no. A fourth? No. She couldn't even count how many times! She would get her someday. She needed her. The fatalis' power was too strong for herself.

She had told Mel the truth then shot her. Sorcha stared at her reflection in a hand mirror. Her eyes were so evil, so dark. Mabel's brother was dead. That wasn't good. Waving her fingers over the mirror, an image splayed across the reflection. It was people. People grieving under a tent in the Piedmont cemetery. It was Dipper's coffin they lowered into the ground. Sorcha hissed. Mabel would need Dipper to even go on in life. Much less give herself up to Sorcha. She waved her fingers again, and snapped. There was no longer a body in that coffin. A low chuckle formed in Sorcha's throat. The dead body of Dipper Pines laid in front of her. Pale with arms crossed. Blood and scars no one could wipe off.

Sorcha walked to the body and sat down in front of it.

"Venite. Consurget enim vos a morte in vitam. Surge, cadaver. Consurget," she whispered quietly. She did this repetitively for hours. Finally, at midnight, the dead boy's color returned. He wasn't alive. Not in the least bit. She wasn't even sure if he would ever be. It definitely would take a while. Sorcha smiled and carried him away into the case.

Mabel would come back. Sorcha didn't know if she would come next year, the next, or even when she was twenty. But Sorcha would be waiting. Mabel had ruined her life.

Sorcha kept that attitude the rest of the summer. She kept it the rest of the year.

She never forgave.

And she never forgot.

**Oh. My. Gosh. Wow. What a big finish! I had so much fun writing for you all! I'd like to thank YOU! The reader, the audience. Even if you haven't reviewed, followed, or favorited, that's okay, because you've read my story and that's amazing! **

**I'd like to give some special thanks to gravityfallsmd, without whom my story would not have the inspiration it has today. Thank you soooooooooooo much for your support and help! Your reviews kept me writing and not giving up. You followed my story from the beginning to the end and I could not have asked for a better friend. Also check to read her newish story "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" which is really awesome!**

**Next I'd like to thank CatherineHarris, who read an ENTIRE 35 chapters in one setting on "Of Hopes and Fears"! She reviewed on every single chapter! It was really amazing! Thanks!**

**Lastly, I'd like to thank lil ol gravity falls, who wrote lots of really nice and cool reviews that helped me a TON. Thank you thank you thank you! **

**And I'm certain there's a billion of you who I haven't mentioned, but please know without my 3,000 or so views, this story wouldn't be here. Thank you so much my friends and check back soooooon for a sequel! Stay classy! **


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